Wandering Souls
by DragonRiderLiz
Summary: Anni and Alex are siblings. There was nothing particularly special about them, until they found a way to travel between universes. What chaos will they cause, going from a universe where Durarara is only a story, to where it's a reality? Eventual Shizuo/OC, rated for later chapters and adult themes. (Being rewritten)
1. Kidnapped

**Thoughts**

" _English"_

*Sounds*

PDA

-!Frame change!-

If Anni hadn't had her earphones in, she might have heard the jingling of the knob on her new apartment door. If she had been watching TV, she might have seen them approach her as she lounged on the couch. If she hadn't been so tired after unpacking, she would have gone out to explore the new town more. Then she wouldn't have been caught, drawing, on the couch in her living room. By the time she noticed the intruders and stood, letting her drawing pad and pencil fall to the floor, it was too late. The stun gun hit her in the stomach, and she crumpled beside her art supplies. By the time she had enough wits about her to understand who had sent these men, and why, they had a foul smelling mask over her face. Her last thoughts as she faded from consciousness were dreading what she would wake to.

-!DRRR!-

She was numb. She could hardly feel her arms or legs. It was the familiar sounds of an engine and muted wind that told her where she was. Bright, victorious voices floated around her, unaware of their now conscious charge. She couldn't make sense of what they were saying though the haze of the lingering drug, but she knew they could only be her enemies. Taking stock of her position, she found her ankles were bound, and her mouth taped shut. Whoever was in charge of binding her was taking their time, laughing with his comrades as he unwound the duct tape that would undoubtedly be for her wrists. She struggled to think of something to do past the drug. Then she gleefully noticed the pressure against her hip. They hadn't found her knife. When the tape touched her hands she moved, opening her eyes and lashing out at her caretaker with her right hand while her left pulled the blade from her pocket.

"Shit!" the chubby blond yelled, her nails embedding themselves in his arm. "How is she awake!" he demanded, tearing her arm away. If he didn't expect her to wake up, he really didn't expect her knife to find his leg. "Little bitch!" he screamed, wrenching hard at the arm he'd captured. There was a pop, and her wrist hung the wrong way. The girl wondered mildly if the drug muting her thoughts was also muting the pain and then tried to swing her blade at the other passenger in the back seat.

"What the hell is going on back there?" the driver yelled. If he hadn't turned to look at the chaos behind him, he would have noticed how the van drifted, or the red light, or the single pedestrian crossing the street.

-!DRRR!-

Work hadn't been so bad today. Only one of the clients was stupid enough to give him stupid excuses and piss him off. Things had gone rather quickly, other than that damn deadbeat who'd forced him to get angry again, and he'd been let off earlier than usual, after having dinner with Tom-san. He was left to wander his city in peace, silently enjoying the streets of Ikebukuro. It was well past dark by the time he decided to head home, and most of the usual crowds had dissipated. He was strolling down a crosswalk when he was hit. He noticed only a split second before the impact that the van wasn't slowing, but it was enough time to plant his feet.

Tires screeched. His chest dented the hood. His feet tore into the asphalt, and his fingers dug into the bumper. The newly conjoined van-and-man cleared the intersection before coming to a complete halt. He looked up slowly to the two horrified men in the front seat, fury reverberating out of every pore.

"Why you…" he began, ripping the bumper from the van. "You could have killed me. You can't complain if I kill you then, right?"

"Heiwajima-" the passenger started, recognizing the danger. The driver didn't take that long, falling out of his door and scrambling to get away

"EH?" Shizuo yelled, closing the distance to his target in a few strides and sending him flying with his make-shift weapon.

Two doors of the van opened, releasing two equally terrified men, one of which was bleeding. The bloodied man didn't waste any time in stumbling away into an alley, while his friend wasn't so lucky. "P-please, Heiwajima-san, we didn't mean to hit you, it was just an acci-"

He didn't fly very far before crashing through a wall and into a building.

"There any more of you bastards in here?" Shizuo growled, stomping up to peer inside the open van. What he found startled him out of his rage. A young blonde woman sat in the back seat, or more leaned against it, glaring up at him through bleary blue eyes. Her mouth was taped shut, and her ankles tied together over the denim of her pants. She held a bloodied knife at him with her left hand, her right not looking fit to hold much of anything. "Hey" Shizuo said softer this time, putting the bumper down. "Are you alright?" Her only response was to slip forward a few inches, her head lolling dangerously. "Oi!" he cried louder as she completely tumbled over, nearly landing on her knife.

-!DRRR!-

He had what he wanted now. He only had to wait for her to tell him everything. Izaya glowered at her with the mocking, know-it-all smile, holding his switchblade to her throat. "Come on Anni-chan" he coaxed, his sickly sweet words echoing through his office. "It would be sooo much easier for you if you just cooperate." She tried to fight back, to slap his hand away, to punch him in the face, to run, but she couldn't move. She couldn't do anything but stare up in terror and defiance. "Ah, oh well then" Izaya sighed, backing away. Anni was happy to have his knife away from her throat, but knew only something worse could follow. It was then that she noticed she wasn't alone with Izaya. Someone was kneeling in front of her, with dirty blond hair and bright gray eyes that always seemed alive with intelligence. Now, however, they were alive with anger. He glared up at Izaya, bound and gagged, his arms tied behind his back. Izaya grabbed his hair and held his head back, so he was forced to stare at Anni. "Maybe another of these precious humans can convince you to talk" Izaya mused, pressing his blade against the unguarded throat. **NO!** She wanted to scream. **Alex!** Terror flickered across Alex's eyes, but there was nothing she could do as Izaya grinned. Nothing she could do as he opened her brother's throat.

-!DRRR!-

Both Shinra and Shizuo jumped at the scream that ripped from the room only a few feet away. Shizuo was the first to tear the sliding bedroom door open and unveil the frantic girl within. She was breathing hard, haphazardly scooching back to lean against the opposite wall. "What's going on?" Shizuo demanded loudly.

"Oi, oi! She probably just had a nightmare, just leave it to me, ok? I'll take care of her" Shinra said soothingly, slipping past and into the room.

"Ya, fine. I'll go wait on the couch then." The bodyguard sighed, leaving the doorway to plop grouchily into his former spot. Shinra turned back to the girl, who was waiting quietly and more calmly against the wall. She was obviously of American or European descent, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore American style clothing that was loose on her rather thin frame, without any makeup or styling to her hair. It didn't seem like she needed or wanted anything to make her look better though.

"How are you feeling?" he asked kindly as he approached.

"Oh, ah…" Anni responded, seeming surprised by the question. She looked herself over before answering. "I feel fine, though my wrist is a little sore" she said, taking note of the black brace on her right arm.

"That's good. Do you think you can stand?" She only nodded before slowly getting to her feet. "What's your name?" Shinra pushed on, guiding her into the living room.

"Hael Annibel" she answered, loud enough for both men to hear. "You can call me Anni though"

"Ah, that's a pretty name! I'm Kishitani Shinra. The brute on the couch there is Heiwajima Shizuo-"

"Oi, do you wanna piss me off?" Shizuo threatened, leaning forward.

"No, no! Nothing of the sort" Shinra smiled, holding his hands up, palms out.

"How did I get here?" Anni interrupted.

"I carried you here to get your hand looked at. It didn't feel right to leave you unconscious like that" Shizuo answered calmly.

"Where did you find me?" the little blonde asked, rubbing her new brace absently

"You were in the back of a van that tried to run me over" he replied. Anni slowly smiled and seemed to laugh to herself.

"Thank you. You saved me. My memory is fuzzy, but I don't think I would have gotten away without your help"

"Sure" was all Shizuo was able to muster.

"Shinra-san, how much do I owe you?" Anni asked, holding up her offending arm. Shinra just smiled and waved her off.

"Nothing for right now, I can't very well charge you for a simple brace, can I?"

"Thank you very much, Shinra-san" Anni sighed, visibly relieved.

"But you have to go home now, I WILL start charging you if you stay the night" the doctor threatened half-heartedly, earning an eager nod in return.

"I can walk you home if you like." Shizuo offered, standing. "It's late and you could still wander into more trouble"

"Ah, yes please! I don't think I would be able to find my way home anyway, I've only been in Ikebukuro two days now" Anni admitted, walking to the door and waving goodbye to the yawning doctor.

It wasn't until they were on the street outside the apartment complex that Shizuo asked "Where do ya live anyway?" He seemed rather surprised by her hesitant explanation. "Oh, that's my complex. Are you the person who moved in on the second floor?"

"Ya, number 203" Anni responded with a smile.

The walk was silent for the most part, broken only by small questions of "how is the city", and "how are you settling in", all of which quickly faded back into silence once answered. It wasn't until they got to the second floor that the silence became strained, however. It wasn't until Anni slowly brushed past the hanging door into her apartment that the silence became mournful. It was as she overlooked the remains of her living room that the silence became dangerous. "Damn bastards" Shizuo growled from the doorway. Everything that could have been harmed was. Anything that had once been in the little kitchen was open, and all over the living room. The sketchpad that she had abandoned was no more, its pieces scattered all over any visible surface. The couch was cut up. The TV was cracked. The coffee table was split down the middle, its halves leaning on two different walls. Anni quietly leaned down to pick up a frame that had once resided in her bedroom. Shards of glass fell away from the picture of her and her brother, her riding on his shoulders, both of them in swim gear, soaking wet, and grinning like idiots.

"I know who did this" she said quietly.

"Tell me his name" Shizuo ordered cooly, stalking closer to hear her better.

"He arranged for me to be kidnapped, and when he didn't get what he wanted, he decided to make sure I couldn't come home" Anni explained, half to herself, her voice starting to strain with emotion.

"Just tell me who he is. I'll do to him what he did to this place" Shizuo demanded, stopping a few feet away. Anni closed her eyes.

"Orihara Izaya" she breathed. She didn't need to see the clench of his fists, or his murderous glare. She could feel the aura of violence radiating from him already. There was a quiet shuffling.

"Here" he said curtly, through gritted teeth. She opened her eyes to find him offering her a key, holding it gingerly between two fingers. He dropped it in her hand, as if glad to be rid of it. "Room 510. Make yourself at home. I'm gonna go tear that worthless flea limb from limb" he growled, turning to stalk out. Anni smiled grimly after his departure, cursing herself.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo returned, tired from his late night chase, to find his door left unlocked for him. He let himself in to the sound of fabric being torn. Anni sat on his couch, sadly examining her newly made pair of shorts. "Oh, welcome home Shizuo-san" she sighed, going back to picking through what little she had tried to salvage. It was strange to have someone around to welcome him home.

"I'm sorry" Shizuo said softly, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "I couldn't catch the flea."

"Don't be. You probably made his day a little worse, and that's all I could ask for" Anni said sadly, gathering up everything that had been deemed unsalvageable, which made up most of the things scattered around the couch, and making her way to the trash. Once her arms were empty, she fished something out of her pocket and handed it to its proper owner. "Here's your key back. Thanks for letting me in." He finished his cigarette wordlessly and snuffed out the butt in a nearby ashtray. By that time, Anni had arranged a small pile that included a few pieces of clothing, a bottle of shampoo, the picture of her and her brother, minus the frame, and a hairbrush.

"You look exhausted. Go get some sleep. My room's the door on the left" Shizuo explained curtly, sitting down on the couch. It took a moment for Anni to gather herself enough to respond, and her response was to try and push him off the couch.

"No, I'm not taking your bed from you! I'm fine with staying for tonight, but only if I-". She was cut off by a glare from the man she couldn't get to budge.

"Just freaking go to bed" he grumbled, stretching out to take up all of the couch, and turning away from her. Any further argument would probably only piss him off. Anni shook her head and kicked herself for even trying, before taking her meager pile of belongings and trudging to Shizuo's room.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friends Alondor Fridwein and Faded Phoenix  
**


	2. Two rules

Shizuo awoke to hear a voice from his room. The sound, while muted, still traveled well through the thin walls. "Would you calm down for five seconds and listen to me?... Look, I'm fine, I still have enough money to keep me going for a while, I think I have a safe place to stay until I get back on my feet, and I have a job interview tomorrow! What more do you want from me?... Well, there's nothing I can do to change that now." Shizuo rolled onto his back and lounged across the couch, slowly waking up. He wondered idly who she was arguing with as he checked the time. 9AM. He heard something more about knowing "two rules", and to "not interfere". He wouldn't be meeting Tom-san today until noon. A rather exasperated sigh and a click caught his attention as Anni emerged from his room, looking even more tired than when he'd banished her to sleep last night. "Oh, you're awake. Good morning" she said, doing her best to feign a smile.

"Ya. Who were you arguing with?" he wondered, sitting up and scratching his head. It was still very strange to have someone else in his house. There was something different about her that he couldn't put his finger on, but she didn't irritate him as easily as most.

"That was my big brother, Alex. I called him to let him know what happened, and he's none too happy about it" she explained, plopping down next to her new roommate.

"Is he worried or something?"

"Yes, he is. I love him dearly, but he can be over-protective at times. I wouldn't be surprised if he flew out here from the States to check on me" she said with a small smile.

"Anyway, you can stay here for a while if you need to. Just try to be quiet and don't mess with my stuff" Shizuo said, standing.

"Thank you, Shizuo-san" Anni said softly, leaning back into the couch and closing her eyes. Shizuo, meanwhile, made his way around the coffee table and into his room. He emerged only for a moment, with a change of clothes and a towel in hand, before disappearing into the bathroom.

By the time he emerged again, his hair dripping onto the towel around his neck, Anni was scribbling at a loose paper on the coffee table. "What's that?"

Anni didn't bother looking up from her haphazard list of numbers. "A budget. Sadly, when my apartment was redecorated, they also found all the money I'd saved to get me through the next few months. I REALLY hope I get the job at that manga shop tomorrow." She sighed putting down her pencil. "At this rate, I won't have enough to pay off the damages to my apartment and get some suitable clothes for my interview, much less buy food."

"Don't worry too much about food. I'm not about to let you starve or anything" Shizuo said casually, heading towards the kitchen.

"I'm gonna have to pay you back for all this somehow" Anni announced, crumpling up the paper and tossing it at the trash can, barely missing.

"No" was the concise response.

"What?" she asked, only just getting to her feet.

"I said no. I don't want your money" he explained, getting a few things together for a simple breakfast.

"I didn't say anything about money" she retorted, forcing the wad of paper to accept its fate in the trash can

Shizuo sighed harshly, almost growling. "I'm helping you because I thinks that's what's right, not because I want any sort of reward"

Anni crossed her arms and leaned her hip against the kitchen counter, carefully watching him. "I want to repay you for your kindness because I couldn't live with myself otherwise, not because I want any sort of gratitude" she explained softly. The wooden spoon in Shizuo's hand splintered under his grip. He could only glare at it morosely before adding it to the quickly filling trash can and reaching for another.

"Fine. But I won't take your money" he agreed, making Anni smile.

"Good! I already have an idea, but it'll take me some time to work on. Is that alright?"

"Sure" Happy with her victory, Anni retreated to the couch.

-!DRRR!-

After receiving a spare key from Shizuo, Anni set about her task; cleaning up the damages. This involved forgoing her pride in a pity story to the landlord about the night before, and omitting a few details about still staying in the same complex. She managed this way to get out of paying the brunt of the damages, but there was no way she was getting her security deposit back. She also wouldn't be allowed to continue renting out that room, and was required to haul out most of her damaged junk, but she didn't mind that as much. Thanks to the way the brace on her wrist had been designed, she still got full use of her right arm for moving everything.

It was well into the afternoon by the time she was done, but the light had yet to fade, so she headed out to search for a store that sold anything cheap that looked good enough to wear to a job interview. Thankfully, luck was on her side, and it didn't take long. The sun was setting on her when she left the store, her bag of new clothes hanging off her wrist, and her search had left her a little lost. That was when luck left her side. She had only taken a few steps before she saw Izaya, and by then it was too late. He had his eyes on her, and was grinning in a way that made her skin crawl. She couldn't move. She was paralyzed by something between hatred and terror. So he got to slowly approach, meandering up to her without a care in the world. The only thing she could do was grip the knife in her pocket as he skipped into earshot. "Anni-chan! It's good to see you again. What happened to your poor little arm?" Izaya asked, at least feigning surprise at her injury.

" _I don't wanna fucking deal with you right now_ " Anni growled back, not bothering with Japanese.

" _Such harsh language, Anni-chan! Is that any way to speak to your friends?_ " Izaya countered, taking up English in turn. Anni scoffed.

 _"I don't care what name or voice you use, I would never be able to think of you as a 'friend'_ " she managed enough courage to glare at him. Izaya leaned in close, right up in her face.

" _But we could be of so much benefit to each other if we were friends, Anni-chan!_ " he confided. His words were sweet, but the threat in his eyes was unmistakable. The only benefit to her would be avoiding more of his torture.

" _I'm not going to tell you anything, so you can go screw off now._ " That damn smirk. Those eyes tearing apart her every expression. Her nerves were breaking down. Her fear might shut her down again.

He finally leaned back, pulling a hand out of his pocket to hover over his heart. " _That hurts, Anni-chan! All I want to do is welcome you to your new home, which you already seem to know sooo much about._ "

" _Bullshit_ " she barked, interrupting him. Then she found out why he had chosen to back up. A street sign whizzed past her ear, burying itself in the concrete right in front of her, where Izaya had previously been standing. It vibrated from the impact, emitting a low metallic ring. Nearly having her head taken off brought more relief than surprise. She'd been hoping for something of the sort since she first laid eyes on the informant.

The call floated to her then, full of the same crazed rage she expected. "Izaya-kun~" He drew out each syllable, letting his voice ring out lazily with his fury.

" _Ah, but sadly I must leave you, my dear Anni-chan. Take care to not get yourself squished!_ " Izaya called, starting to skip backwards, and waving as he dashed off down the street.

"GET BACK HERE!" Shizuo roared, retrieving the sign as he thundered past. Anni didn't react. She didn't move for a while. It took her a few minutes to collect herself enough to slip into a nearby alleyway and slide down the wall, into a little ball. She hated him. She absolutely hated him. She knew Izaya was dangerous, long before she'd first laid eyes on him. That's what got her into trouble in the first place.

-!One day earlier!-

It had been a very productive second day. She'd gotten her resume out a bunch of good places, and one had even agreed to interview her two days from now. Her apartment was pretty nice, and she'd caught a few glimpses of people she'd recognized. It was incredible to see them real, in person. Simon was passing out flyers. She watched Celty zip past. Erika and Walker strolled by, talking emphatically about one thing or another that she didn't catch. She was happy, extremely so. That was probably what had first caught his attention. What caught his interest though was her expression when she first spotted him. The last person she wanted to see. Anni could only imagine the fear and disgust that warped her face. She quickly tried to turn into an alleyway, to act like it was nothing, to break his line of sight, but she knew it was too late. "Two rules" her brother had told her. "Don't interfere with any of the characters involved in the main plot, and keep yourself safe." She had probably just broken both in one fell swoop.

Her fears were confirmed when she bumped into someone on her way out of the alleyway. "Oh! I'm so sorry, are you alright?" Izaya chided, gripping her upper arms as if to steady her. His sharp eyes seemed to pierce effortlessly into her soul.

"I- I'm fine, don't worry about me!" She faked a smile as best she could. As he let her go, she thought she was free, and turned quickly to move on down the street. **Anywhere, just away from him.**

"Ah, wait a moment!" he called. Anni flinched and came to a halt. He sauntered up in front of her quickly crossing the few steps of space she had gained. "Have we met before?" Izaya asked casually, his eyes gleaming.

Anni was rattled already. She never did well under social pressure, and his effortless control over everything scared her. "No, I don't think so" she said, trying to seem confused.

"Are you sure? You look a little familiar" he claimed as he leaned in, pretending to get a closer at her features.

Anni stumbled back a step, and tried again to turn away. "I'm sorry, I don't think I've ever seen you before, Izaya. If you'll excuse me-" **Damn it. Damn it all. Damn him.**

"Ah, but you know my name, and I don't even know yours! I think we should remedy this, don't you…?" he asked from where he was. He didn't need to dance up in front of her this time. Anni stopped and slowly turned her shoulders.

"Anni" she said.

"Ah, Anni-chan then!" She hated the way he said it. She could understand now why it got on Shizuo's nerves so much. "Now, how is it that you know my name again?" his tone somehow managed to strike a balance between light-hearted and threatening. It would have been really cool, had she not been on the receiving end.

"Ah, a friend mentioned you. They said you were someone to be avoided." **That was safe, right?**

"How cruel! Who would say something so mean? I'm actually really nice…" The grin that followed made her heart skip a beat.

"I can't really remember" she whispered. "I'm sorry, I'm late, I have to go" she hurriedly forced out.

"I'll see you later then, Anni-chan!" Izaya promised. A shiver ran up her spine as she hurried away. **What damage could he do if he knew what I know?**

-!DRRR!-

Anni was so well wrapped up in her little ball she didn't notice the footsteps that came to a halt over her, or how the owner of said footsteps was still catching his breath. "Anni" he called gently. She came back to the present with a jolt, taking a fearful moment to recognize her only friend in Japan. He looked concerned and guilty. **A bit like a kicked puppy.** "Did I scare you?"

"No, I'm not afraid of you. It's Izaya that scares me. I feel like he's going to tear me apart from the inside out" she admitted, wrapping her arms more tightly around her knees. Shizuo was quiet for a moment.

"Seriously?" the confused man asked. Anni looked up to find him staring down at her in shock.

"I meant what I said, if that's what you're asking" she explained, surprised by his reaction. She used the wall to climb back to her feet, making sure to grab her bag along the way. "Anyway, I'm gonna head home. I'll see you later" she bid, starting off. She gave him a wave, but he only stared after her like she was crazy.

-!DRRR!-

"I swear, it's like he can smell that I know what happens. It's not fair, it's not right, there's nothing I can do!" Anni ranted into her phone, leaning her head back into the couch, careful to not disturb her towel hat too much.

"Do you want me to come over there and take care of him for you or not?" Alex sighed.

"Just tell me what I can do. I can't deal with him by myself." Anni whined, closing her eyes. Her sleepless night was starting to catch up with her.

"Anni, you just need to keep your head down and stay out of his way. He'll have enough to occupy himself with in a few months"

"That's a few months away. Just look at what I've managed to screw up in a few days!" Anni slid to fall on her side, her head landing on the armrest

"Stop being so pessimistic. You haven't actually screwed up that bad, no matter what I might or might not have said earlier"

Anni wished she could glare at him through the phone. "Now you're the optimist?"

"Shut up. Now enough about the damn informant"

"Sure. How are things going back home? I somehow forgot to ask" Anni forced her eyes to stay open, lest she fall asleep with her brother on the line.

"Bruce still doesn't like the kitten and work still sucks. You've been gone four days. Nothing has changed. I was more curious how things were going with your 'roommate'."

"Shut your face" Anni growled over Alex's satisfied laughter. "I'm trying not to influence him too much, but I have no idea if that's actually accomplishing anything"

"Just be careful not to let anything slip, alright? The last thing we need is spoilers"

"I know, I know" Anni gave in and let her eyes fall closed. Silence hung for a moment.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" came Alex's concerned question.

Anni waited another moment before responding. "No. I knew if I tried I would have nightmares again. I didn't want to keep everyone up all night…"

"You need to sleep sometime, Little Anni"

Anni heaved a large, tired sigh. "I'll get right to work on that then"

"Sleep well. I'm never farther than a phone call away, alright?" Anni let her phone click shut and curled around it, drifting off.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo unlocked the door and stepped out of his shoes. He was happy to be home, and was more than ready to just fall asleep after the day he'd had. Absolutely none of the clients had wanted to cooperate. That combined with finding the flea not only in his city, but harassing his new roommate, made for a rather unpleasant day. On top of all that, he still didn't quite know what to make of the little blonde's strange revelation.

Speaking of Anni, the girl was curled up on the couch with a towel on her head. **What does she have against beds?** Shizuo carefully picked her up and carried her to his room, the towel falling to the couch and her phone left behind. The towel made it to the hamper, Anni's phone to the side of the futon, and Shizuo to sleep on his couch.

-!DRRR!-

It seemed that he had only be lying there for a few seconds before he heard the scream. He wasn't awake until after he had forced the sliding bedroom door open. Anni didn't flinch. She didn't look up. She just sat there, the blanket gripped under white knuckles. "It's ok, it's ok" she cooed, though Shizuo wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. It was quiet for a moment as they both regathered their wits.

"Another nightmare?" he assumed. Anni only nodded. "You seemed to sleep fine last night"

"That's because I didn't sleep last night" she answered coolly, checking the time on her phone. **Only 2:15** she noted with disappointment. Shizuo headed back to his couch.

"You'll need to catch up on sleep tonight then. Don't you have an interview tomorrow?"

"Yes. Don't you have work tomorrow?" Anni asked, getting up to lean in the doorway.

"What's that got to do with anything?" he demanded, lying back across the couch and folding his hands behind his head.

"I'm going to take that as a yes" she sighed. "Goodnight Shizuo-san"

"'night Anni" he replied, watching her disappear into his room and close the door. It didn't take him long to fall back into the comfort of sleep.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friends Alondor Fridwein and Faded Phoenix  
**


	3. Snap

Killing five hours in the middle of the night would have been a lot harder if Anni didn't have internet on her phone. She dozed off a few times, but always managed to wake herself before the nightmares found her. **Day four** she announced to herself as it hit 7AM. **Hopefully today's screw up won't be the interview**. She quietly got herself together and left, passing her happily unconscious roommate on her way out. Her interview wasn't until 9, but she could easily kill time by looking around for another apartment in her price range. She couldn't live with Shizuo for very long anyway. It would be tempting fate to stick around during the events to come over the next few months, and with how things had gone so far, she didn't think fate liked her.

-!DRRR!-

Anni was reorganizing a display when she saw Erika and Walker stroll in. The interview had gone wonderfully, which only made her more anxious as to what else would be coming today to balance it out. "Oh, I haven't seen you around here before." Anni turned to find the pair had snuck up behind her. It was Erika who had spoken.

"I was just hired today. My name is Anni, it's nice to meet you" Anni said with a bow, keeping a professional cheerfulness. The pair introduced themselves, after going on a rant about how she spelled her name, based on her nametag. A rant which seemed to continue in a tangent after they left her to her work. Anni smiled as she watched them shop out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't wait until she got her hands on another drawing pad. Those two were too adorable together to not draw.

It was 6:30 by the time she had gotten off work and changed out of her uniform. She had decided to head to Russia Sushi for dinner, but that's not where she ended up. She ended up in a hole-in-the-wall art shop, where her money disappeared. Anni really hated herself sometimes. So instead of eating, she got to sit on a bench in a nearby park and draw. It was relaxing, and she found herself smiling as she doodled. Izaya unconscious, hung over a slightly-bent sign. Simon waving flyers with a wide smile. Shinra with shining glasses. She was pulled from her stress relief by a rather familiar voice.

"Helloooo beautiful!" Masaomi chimed, smiling. He plopped down next to her and leaned over to look over her shoulder. "How about you draw me? I'm Kida Masaomi, chick magnet extraordinaire!"

"Sure, but you'll have to stand still long enough" Anni offered, flipping to a clean page and laughing.

"Ah, you see this Mikado? My new love is going to paint a portrait of me!" Masaomi cried, jumping up to pose. Mikado, who was standing not far off, looked something between amused and mortified. Anri stood beside him, impassive.

"Aaah, Masaomi, you can't just call her that because she agreed to draw you…" he said softly, his voice almost drowned out by the ambient noise of the city. Masaomi, meanwhile, was too busy shifting through different extravagant poses.

"Oh no! Here I am modelling for you and I don't even know your name! If-" Masaomi started, falling to one knee. His hands folded over his heart, as if pleading earnestly.

"Annibel" Anni answered shortly, cutting him off. "And I did mean what I said about staying still, you dope."

"How would my glorious Annibel like me to pose then? A proud hero? A victorious hunter? Oh! Maybe you want to draw me as a cool cat!" the teenager went on, shifting through poses as he named them.

"Anything that will keep you still!" Anni demanded, doing her best to hold back laughter.

"A virtuous knight then!" he exclaimed, settling on a pose.

"Shall I draw a horse under you, Sir Kida?" Anni joked as she quickly got an outline. Masaomi didn't get to answer though.

"Masaomi, Sonohara-san and I are going home" Mikado announced.

"Ah, wait a minute!" he called as his friends started to walk off. He knelt before Anni, much to her amusement. "My dearest Annibel, I'm sorry, but I must leave you! See ya later!" and he was gone, running after his friends. Anni laughed and went about drawing all three of them. It was only with great willpower that she kept spoilers out of the theme. She did intend to give this to the trio, anyway. She lost light quickly, and was forced to return home. **Shizuo's house** she reminded herself harshly. Anni found the place empty of other life, so she stretched out on the couch with her sketchpad and went back to work. Her only reservation was not turning on music. She wouldn't be repeating what happened two days ago. She finished up the Raira trio and had moved on to the otaku duo when she heard the door open. Shizuo shuffled in, a cigarette between his lips.

"Welcome home" she called before returning to her project.

"Hn" was the only response he gave as he came inside. Anni made room so he could sit next to her. "What are ya up to now?"

"I'm drawing a couple people I met at work today. Oh, I got hired! They even let me start working today" Anni gushed, looking up only long enough to grin at her roommate.

"Good for you" he said, taking a drag.

Anni paused a moment before asking, "How was your day?"

"Eh" he sighed, leaning back and grabbing the remote. "It was annoying." Anni thought it best not to speak up as he started flipping through channels. It was awhile before he finally settled on something Celty had suggested he watch. Anni never saw what it was, as she made the mistake of leaning her head back into the couch as she worked. "Anni…" Shizuo sighed once he noticed the scratch of pencil on paper had stopped, but she was gone.

-!DRRR!-

It was the alarm on her phone that woke her. Once she had convinced it to shut up, Anni realized she wasn't where she remembered falling asleep. She tried to decide if she should curse or thank him for moving her again as she stood up from the futon, but couldn't settle on one. What she was thankful for, however, was the lack of nightmares last night. **Alex will be glad to hear that** she thought, stretching. Anni didn't have time to call him now though, she had to get to work. Shizuo was still asleep, so she simply picked up her sketch pad from the coffee table and left him to his dreams.

Work went by quickly, Anni filling her break time drawing. She was out at 6:30 again, and decided to wander around. She called her brother as she walked, and told him the good news, both about her quiet night, and landing the job. He quickly congratulated her, and hung up. **Thanks** Anni thought sarcastically. That was when she caught sight of Mikado, Masaomi, and Anri. What startled her was Anri's dress. She was wearing a beautiful blue yukata spotted with pink flowers. **So that's today.** "Masaomi-san!" Anni called. The trio turned as one to look back at her.

"Ah! My beautiful Annibel! Have you missed me so much-" Masaomi started. Anni didn't let him finish.

"Here" she said curtly, holding out the paper. "I finished the drawing, and I thought you and your friends might like it." Masaomi stared at the depiction in surprise before exploding.

"It's wonderful! Annibel has captured our spirits in no more than a day! This truly is a fantastic festival!" he sang, twirling on one foot. Mikado managed to catch the paper and show it to Anri.

"O-oh, this is pretty good. I didn't even ask you to draw me. Thank you" Mikado stuttered.

"Thank you very much" Anri added quietly. Anni bowed silently and walked away, grinning.

"Annibel, where are you going?" Masaomi called after her mournfully. Anni waved over her shoulder and turned a corner. She couldn't well keep them long, or she would mess with today's events. So she kept to herself as she wandered, staying away from where she knew the action was. She stopped to talk to Simon before heading in for some sushi. She leaned against a streetlight to doodle in her sketchbook a bit more. Anything to pass time until the "UFO" flew at 10. **Poor saps**. She was only a block away from the building when 10 o'clock rolled around and the brightly colored gang got their flying lessons. People looked up and chattered. Anni grinned at the spectacle. Satisfied, she turned and started heading back home. Sadly, she didn't get very far.

"You were waiting for it too" Izaya observed from her left. Anni froze.

"You're right, Izaya" she said, hesitantly.

"Of course I am" he gloated, "but what am I right about this time?" Anni turned to glare at him.

"It is very hard to trust you" she accused with venom.

"Oh-ho!" Izaya laughed, coming closer. "So you heard that?"

It was Anni's turn to give a knowing smile. "Sort of" she said teasingly. Izaya took the chance to put an arm around her shoulders and lead her off. "And where do you think you're taking me" she growled, trying to shake off his hand.

"Just somewhere more private, where a certain Shizu-chan won't interrupt us" he explained, not even looking at her.

"How about no" Anni offered darkly, pulling her knife. She didn't get to bury it in his ribs like she wanted though, as he danced away, just into the mouth of a nearby alley. Anni made the mistake of following him, as if all she needed to do was close the distance between his skin and her knife to win. He backed farther into the alley as she approached, only pulling out his switchblade as she cleared the corner. That stopped her in her tracks.

"Tisk tisk. Come now Anni-chan, you know better than this. I'm sure you're already aware who would win this" Izaya lectured, never losing his confident smile. Anni slowly lowered and pocketed her knife. Izaya's switchblade disappeared to somewhere unknown. "Now you just have to be civil. Is that so hard?"

" _I still want nothing to do with you_ " Anni growled.

Izaya sighed at her. " _Come on now Little Anni_ " he coaxed. Anni stiffened. Hearing that name come from his mouth was disgusting. It was DISTURBING, and it took her a moment to figure out why. Only one person ever called her that. Alex. And even then, there was no way Izaya could know that name. Alex only called her 'Little Anni' when they were alone. **Or over the pho-** Any color that had once been in Anni's face drained in an instant. She was an idiot. She could only watch stupidly as Izaya's grin widened into victory.

" _You bugged my phone, you mother fucker_ " she said, her voice devoid of any malice, or life. The damn informant had killed her with two words.

" _Language Anni-chan, language!_ " he chortled back. Izaya seemed all the more pleased to get her to curse, and gleefully stood, watching her expressions. Anni was at a loss. What else has he heard? She tried desperately to remember every word she'd spoken to Alex since she got here. She drew a blank. She was so angry. So terrified. So lost. She was paralyzed again, just like her nightmares. **You're out of your depth, Anni** was the only rational conclusion she could draw. She desperately wished Alex were here with her. He would know how to handle this. But he wasn't. She was alone. Terribly alone. But she had known him all her life. She should be able to imitate him, right? **What would he do?**

He wouldn't show his weaknesses. But that was all she had done since she'd met Izaya. She'd been emotionally weak when he first caught sight of her. She'd shown him her weak security when those thugs made it so easily into her home. She'd been physically weak when she couldn't fight them off herself. It was only because of Shizuo she'd made it out of their van. It was only because Shizuo took her in that she had a safe place to stay. It was only because of Alex now that she was able to think rationally. And now Izaya had made Alex her weakness. She was done depending on everyone else. If she was going to make it out of this, it would have to be under her own power. Anni calmly pulled out her phone, watching Izaya's eyes light up. 'Oh?' he mouthed. It was a small, lime-green flip phone. Anni hated the color, but she hadn't had much choice at the time of choosing. All it had was an internet connection, a few pictures she had taken since coming to the city, and Alex's number, which she had memorized anyway. It had nothing, but it was still precious. It was the only phone that could reach out of this universe. It was the only way she could reach her brother.

"I can only assume you've been wanting to break me." Anni said calmly, opening her phone. Even with her meager strength, and one arm in a brace, and awkwardly trying to keep her sketchpad locked under her arm, the phone made a satisfying *snap*. Anni held out the pieces. "You win. You've broken a part of me" she announced, dropping the trophy into Izaya's waiting hand. Not expecting anything more, Anni turned and left.

"Bravo" she heard Izaya whisper behind her, before breaking into hysterical laughter.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo unlocked his apartment to an unpleasant smell. It was only a slight wiff, but the flea's scent was unmistakable. He looked around, but only found Anni lying rather stiffly on the couch. **When will she learn to go to bed on her own? Do I have to keep carrying her every night?** "Oh" he commented rather dully as he noticed her eyes were open, staring blankly at the ceiling. The expression he thought at first glance to be peaceful was actually rather unnervingly dead.

"I have my own income now, so it won't take me long to save up enough for an apartment of my own," she stated in monotone. "and I'm done taking your room from you. I'll be the one sleeping on the couch for now. Please don't move me anymore."

"Oi" Shizuo said, his tone slipping dangerously low. He walked forward to look directly down at her. "Are you going to try and tell me where to sleep now? Who are you to order me around in my own house?" he growled, leaning down to glare at her. Anni would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid, but Izaya had scared her more. So she kept her face as impassive as she could.

"No, I'm telling you where I will sleep, which is either on this couch or on the street" she announced, almost as cool as her last statement. She couldn't come this far to fail now, and she believed he wouldn't hurt her. She wanted to, anyway.

Shizuo seemed to accept that, but only for a second. Anni's belief in her safety faltered as he hauled her up to his eye level by the front of her shirt. For little 5'5" Anni, that was quite a ways. With his glasses off, Anni could fully see the barely restrained fury in his hazel eyes. Today was a bad day to test him. "You're not sleeping in the damn street" he snarled at her. Anni took a moment to try and gather herself again. She was starting to debate between her pride and the structural integrity of her skeleton. "What have you got to say now, huh?!" Shizuo started shaking her. **No. Nonononononono I can't lose now** was all she could think as the world started to spin. "HUH?" he yelled, finally putting a pause on the shaking.

"I just don't want to hurt you!" Anni reached up to grab the arms that held her, steadying herself. That gave him pause. Maybe that would give her the time she needed. Shizuo looked confused.

"You don't want.. to hurt... me?" he asked, as if to confirm. Anni nodded. "Explain yourself" he ordered.

"Since we first met, all you've done is go well out of your way to help me. You took me to a doctor. You hunted down Izaya on my behalf. You gave up your own room so I would have a safe place to sleep."

"Get to the point already"

"All I've done is take things from you that you would otherwise have. I feel like I'm stealing from you. Last I checked, stealing from someone hurts them." Her feet touched the ground. She's never treasured that feeling so much in her life.

"You haven't been hurting me. I told you, I've been helping you because I think it's the right thing to do" he explained, his glare losing its edge.

"And I've only been able to take your kindness without giving anything back. I don't think that's right!" Anni asserted, gripping his wrists. He seemed to notice he was still holding her, and released her shirt, letting his arms fall away.

"You said you had an idea of how to pay me back."

"I do, but that doesn't change the fact that I've only ever taken from you. At least let me give you your room back." Anni bargained softly, relaxing. Shizuo pulled out a cigarette.

"And what if those guys who tried to kidnap you show up again?" he asked, lighting it.

"You'll be no farther from me than if you were sleeping on the couch."

"I don't want them to find you first."

"They would have to be stupid enough to break into YOUR apartment to begin with. I think I could deal with those kinds of idiots" Anni said with a confident smile.

"Ah. Fine. You can have the couch, but I don't want you to complain anymore after this."

"That's a deal."

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friends Alondor Fridwein and Faded Phoenix  
**


	4. New keys

Anni enjoyed her victory, and started work on her most important project. It was to be a full page, colored scene. Shizuo would stand in the center, smoking, leaning against an unharmed street sign, displaying the 'peace' symbol. The only other piece of foreground would be a streetlight on one side, giving just enough light to illuminate his small smile. The buildings of the city and their glowing windows would loom far in the distance, serving mostly as texture to the horizon. The upper half of the picture was going to be a new-moon night, with every color of stars. Blues, reds, whites, yellows. The whole nine yards. She wasn't going to cut any corners on this one. She was always careful not to have it out while Shizuo was around. **No spoilers for you, especially not in this.**

Anni worried for a while what Alex would do when he found he couldn't contact her. A week passed without any hint of him or Izaya before she calmed down. Whatever his reasons, it was probably safe to assume he was just letting her work everything out herself. She'd moved here to do just that: work life out on her own.

Anni took as much overtime as she could to replace the essentials that had been destroyed when her apartment was ransacked. All that extra time left her tired to the bone. Thankfully, her nightmares receded, and so she was able to keep up with sleep. It all amounted to quickly having enough money to support herself and actually save up for her move. And, with her spending so much time at work, she actually got to make a friend who wasn't involved in the plot. Maya was an opposite to Anni. She was confident and talkative where Anni was self-conscious and awkward. Her black-haired coworker shared quite a few of her interests, and Anni didn't have to be as careful about what she said. Anni really enjoyed going to work after that.

After the little spat over sleeping arrangements, Anni managed to go without pissing Shizuo off again for quite a while. She had to be mindful of what she said and did almost all the time, but as he seemed to get used to her, she relaxed more. It even got to the point, after a while, where he would rant to her and share what bugged him. It made her incredibly proud to have him vent to her like he did Celty. They hung out and watched TV in the evenings, and sometimes met up at Russia Sushi for dinner. It was during one of these dinners that she was properly introduced to Tom. They got along well, and met up to eat whenever all of their work schedules would allow.

A month after her arrival in Tokyo, Shizuo helped her move into the apartment she had found just around the corner. It was more run down than her previous one, but it was really her space, so she didn't care. Her first purchase specifically for the place was a better lock.

It was just after the last of her things were in her new place that she invaded Shizuo's apartment for the last time. He had left her new place only a few minutes earlier, after she had thanked him for his help. He had said something about going to get food, but what mattered was that he wouldn't be here. She let herself in with the spare key she still had and left it on the coffee table beside her newly finished project. She admired the living room one last time, and turned to leave, but almost ran straight into the owner of said room. He was carrying what looked like a bag of take-out.

"Did you forget something?" he asked, pushing past her. Anni smiled, still facing the door as she heard him stop next to the coffee table. With a rather loud plastic rustle, the bag found the floor.

"It's not much, but thank you" Anni said, slipping out the door as quietly as she could. And then she was gone, skipping with a wide grin to Russia Sushi. This was a special event.

"Oh Anni! You look so happy!" Simon greeted.

"That's because I am! Things have finally worked out for me." She couldn't wipe the grin off her face.

"Come in! Come eat sushi, share the happiness! Sushi good for you, makes you even more happy!" Simon was almost pushing her towards the door.

"I'd love to" Anni agreed, walking in. What she saw inside, she didn't expect. At first she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, even in Japan there must be someone with the same blond hair as her brother. And the same backpack. And the same skinny build.

"Another drink please, Dennis." And the same voice. If Anni didn't think her grin could get any wider, she was dead wrong. She muffled her footsteps carefully and snuck up behind him.

" _What are you doin' in my territory, punk?_ " she tried to growl, just behind his ear. Tried. She was far too happy to growl properly.

" _Drinkin' all yer alcohol, whatzit look like I'm doing, punk?_ " came his smooth reply. He turned to give her a smirk. "There you are"

"Here I am." she chirped. Anni took up the barstool beside him. "Got tired of waiting for me to call back?"

"I just needed a vacation. Don't flatter yourself" Alex laughed as his drink arrived. He passed her a new phone under the counter. **Liar** she thought with a smile, taking her present. It was red this time. "Don't go breaking this one too" Alex instructed after a sip of his drink.

"Don't worry, I will" Anni promised, stealing a sip for herself as soon as he put the glass down; Alex elbowed her in the ribs.

"Get your own, you're old enough now."

"No, that's too easy" Anni retorted, turning to Dennis to make her order, which included a drink.

"I feel incredibly out of the loop now. You're drinking, willingly. Either you've killed my sister and taken over her body, or you've gotten a lot more confident" Alex observed, with something between concern and confusion.

"A little of both, actually" Anni admitted. She spent that lunch and most of the walk to her new apartment explaining what had happened. They were forced into silence, however, as they came across Shizuo standing outside her door.

"You're not allowed to thank me for that" Anni asserted before he could open his mouth. So instead he held out his hand. The key she had intended to leave behind rested in his palm.

"You did forget something."

"Shizuo, I don't need-" His glare told her he wasn't taking no for an answer, so Anni sighed and begrudgingly accepted the key. Once the task of return her key was completed, Shizuo seemed to notice Alex for the first time. Until then, Anni's older sibling had been leaning against the hall wall, watching their interaction with a smirk.

"Who's this?" Shizuo asked.

"Hael Alexander, my big brother. He just got into town. Alex, this is Heiwajima Shizuo" Anni explained. Something in her tone warned _play nice_. Alex unfolded one arm for a polite wave, and Shizuo gave a nod. That's about as nice as she was going to get.

"Ah, well, I'd better get going. Later Anni" Shizuo said, walking out. He was at the stairs before he added. "And thanks for the picture."

"No, you can't just- _freaking- god damn it Shizuo!_ " Anni growled in frustration, only turning towards where he had disappeared. Her brother laughed at her.

"Serves you right!" he said, grabbing her by the collar and pushing her towards the door. "Now I want a grand tour of my new home!"

"If I didn't love you I'd stab you for that" Anni grumbled, fishing out her key. She was going to have to mark them; both hers and Shizuo's looked exactly alike.

"If I didn't love you, I'd let you" he said gently. Anni smiled at the opening door.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friends Alondor Fridwein and Faded Phoenix  
**


	5. Are you the slasher?

The next week was very interesting for Anni. Sharing a room with her brother was nothing new, but it was certainly a change of pace from the last month that she'd spend on the couch with Shizuo as a roommate. Alex was much more talkative, and around much more. He also had a habit of teasing her and prodding her into exchanging sarcastic banter. She didn't have nearly as much time to just think by herself, so she started taking midnight walks. It was nice, to be out in the open air, letting the city's midnight aria sooth her. It was inevitable that she would run into trouble strolling through alleyways in the middle of the night. Knife wielding possessed, yellow scarves, and the normal crazies alike found her, so she got a bit of field practice in with her blade. She got pretty good at getting her knife to her assailant's throat before they saw her move. Then they saw her as a threat. **I don't need any bodyguard!** At least that's what she told herself.

She hadn't seen her former roommate except in passing on her way home from work, as she'd been working a later shift and couldn't make it to dinner. She missed being able to just hang around him. At times, she was tempted to just sneak into his apartment and bug him for an hour or two, but she couldn't. The plot would be picking up again in the next few weeks or so, and she needed to make sure she wasn't involved in any part of it she could avoid. That included Shizuo.

It was with this in mind that she had started her walk tonight. Anni almost wanted to find more trouble, to blow off her frustration at being forced to avoid her friend. She had been wandering a little while, getting to know the area closer to her apartment a bit better, when she heard footsteps behind her, like she was being followed. Her own footsteps were naturally silent, so her pursuer didn't notice the difference when she stopped and waited just around the corner of her last turn. They wouldn't know anything was wrong until it was too late. Knife in hand, she waited patiently as their footsteps drew closer, until they were close enough to-

He effortlessly caught her arm. **He's fast.** Before she could react, Anni hit the wall on her victim's left. Hard. She lost her grip on her knife and fell back the surprisingly long distance to the ground. It hurt. Everything hurt. She curled onto her left side, and coughed up a bit of blood. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think. Someone was yelling something or other, so Anni reached out in desperation to retrieve her knife, which had fallen to her left.

-!DRRR!-

It was quiet tonight. Not many were on the streets, with the slasher seeming to strike every night. Shizuo wasn't worried. It wasn't like any lone man with a knife posed a threat to him, well, anyone other than the flea. He spotted someone else walking. He couldn't make them out clearly in the darkness, but they didn't seem to fear the threat of the slasher either. It was getting late, and Shizuo was getting tired, so he turned to follow the same path, towards home. As he neared the next turn, he caught the glint of light off metal, then the arm that held the blade. It didn't register how thin the arm was in his grip, so the arm and the rest of the knife-wielder connected to it was thrown to his left. They flew up a little ways before slamming face-first into the brick of the building. All he wanted was to walk home in peace. Who the hell did they think they were, pulling a weapon on him? Were they the slasher?

"Who the hell do you think you are, pulling a knife on someone like that? Do you wanna die?" He noticed the way her hair splayed out from where she'd fallen. "Since you're a girl, I'll let you off with only this much, but you shouldn't be…" That hair was actually very familiar. "Wait, is that you?"

-!DRRR!-

"Anni…?" She wrapped her fingers around the handle and leaned her head back to look up at the man who stood over her now. He was leaning down a bit to get a better look at her, so she had a clear view of his sunglasses and bleach-blond hair.

"Shizuo?" How the hell had she not considered the possibility that she would run into him? Instead of answering, he knelt down and scooped her up. "No, wait, I'm fine-" she hissed.

"Shut up, no you're not. I'm taking you to Shinra." Anni couldn't protest, so she clung to his neck as he started walking, every footfall bringing a new jolt of pain. "What were you doing?" he demanded after a moment.

"I thought you were following me" Anni offered through gritted teeth.

"So you decided to attack me?" he asked calmly.

"'Best defence is a good offence'" the girl quoted quietly. The rest of the walk passed mostly in silence.

-!DRRR!-

Shinra greeted them excitedly, up until he saw who they were. They were still let in, but not with nearly as much enthusiasm. Anni got a place on the couch, where she was prodded and bandaged. The pain was nearly overwhelming, but Anni did her best not to show it. Shizuo was only sitting a few feet away in one of the chairs, after all. She knew he was going to feel guilty about this no matter what she did, but she didn't want to make it any worse than it absolutely had to be. It wasn't until Shinra prodded at her right collarbone that the pain got the best of her and she let out a sharp hiss of agony. It didn't escape her notice that Shizuo went out onto the balcony for a smoke after that.

All in all, she had a broken rib, a few bruised ones, a sprained ankle, a possible concussion, some other cuts and bruises, and her clavicle was fractured. Bandages were applied, her right arm was put in a sling, and she was instructed not to go to sleep tonight just in case. Anni paid for her care, Alex was going to have to help her make next month's rent now, and Shizuo helped her walk home. Pride would not let Anni agree to being carried again. It was a painfully silent walk.

Anni was too lazy to reach across into her right pocket and dig for her key, so when they reached her door, she knocked. "It's 2AM" came the tired response after a minute.

" _Open up, Jamesy-face_ " Anni ordered. 'Jamesy-face' was her pet name for her brother, based off his middle name; James. The knob clicked and the door opened to reveal a confused and sleepy-eyed Alex. The confusion turned swiftly into accusation as he took in both Anni's condition and company. His sisters free hand slapped over his mouth as he made to open it. " _Not. A. Word_." the cripple instructed in a sharp hiss, limping past him.

"Thank you for bringing my little sister home" Alex said stiffly, his eyes never losing their glint of accusation, or leaving Shizuo.

"Ya, sure." Shizuo trudged off. Alex let his head make a nice *thunk* against the door once it was closed and locked. He had been looking forward to getting back to sleep. That wasn't going to happen tonight.

-!DRRR!-

Anni hated the next week with a burning passion. Alex put her under house arrest for her stupidity. He'd deemed the whole encounter her fault once she'd explained what happened, and thankfully cleared Shizuo of any blame. So in retribution, Anni spent most of her time at home, alone. Alex, on the other hand, spent most of his day at the part time job he'd picked up to help her pay the bills. Thankfully, Anni's dominant arm was left mostly unharmed, so she got to spend her downtime drawing. Maya was kind enough to come visit her a few times, but was upset that Anni wouldn't tell her how she'd been injured. It was easy to figure out what she'd assumed when she glared at Alex's return home. Neither of the siblings cared enough about what she thought to try and correct her, so her assumptions went unchallenged.

Anni lived on Maya's visits through the second week. It was Maya who kept her in the loop on what was going on around town, and at work. Her coworker would always leave as soon as Alex got home, but the pair still failed to tell her what really happened. It was around the middle of the second week that Anni started sneaking out to enjoy the city while her brother was working. Health no longer seemed like a major concern to her with almost all the smaller injuries healed. The only real concerns were a still healing rib and her arm in a sling to protect her collarbone, but those wouldn't keep her from walking. And so long as she was home before dark, she didn't have to worry about the increasingly frequent slashings.

The defiant blonde was walking down the street on one of her stolen days, enjoying the sunshine when Celty rode past. The fairy seemed to look right at her as she rolled by. Anni quickly wrote it off as not being able to see where the rider was really looking, and kept on. It came as a great surprise to her then when Celty caught her good arm from behind. "Oh, hello, what…" Anni started, pausing as Celty started typing.

"Is your name Anni?" her PDA read.

"Who sent you?" Anni couldn't help but put her guard up, with how often Celty worked with the informant.

This gave the fairy pause. "He asked me not to use his name" she typed out after a moment.

Anni shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't trust you if I don't..." Celty started typing again.

"I just want to know if you're alright." Anni laughed quietly.

"I see. You can tell him I'm doing fine. I've just been taking my time to heal at home. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name" Anni kindly explained, smiling.

"I'm Celty, nice to meet you" They both seemed to notice at once the looks the crowd gave them, so Celty added "Would you trust me enough to take this somewhere else?"

"Oh, of course. Any friend of Shizuo's is a friend of mine." Celty shook her helmet as she lead Anni into a nearby alleyway where her horse was waiting.

"I never told you it was him, ok?" she clarified.

"I understand. Thank you for finding me." Anni couldn't help but smile.

"He really seemed worried about you" she typed out slowly.

"Ah, really? He could have come to visit me any time…" Anni said sadly. They were both quiet for a moment.

"How did you end up as his roommate?" Celty typed out, adding "Shizuo never explained that part."

"Oh, haha, it's an interesting story."

"I'm curious" Celty prodded.

"Well, I uh, I caught some unwanted attention. So someone was kind enough to arrange for me to go on a surprise vacation" Anni paused to make sure her point got across before continuing, "and while I was away they paid for my apartment to be redecorated."

"I'm sorry. That sounds terrible." 

"Don't be. It's not your fault. Anyway, my vacation was cut short when the van I was in hit Shizuo. From what I heard he found me and took me to Shinra-san to make sure I was alright. When we found out my place had been trashed he let me stay with him for a while." She added a shrug at the end as if the whole thing didn't matter. Anni wouldn't be quick to admit the whole thing had given her nightmares.

"Do you know who it was that arranged all that?" Celty typed out. She seemed concerned.

"Ya, but he's not important right now. I've already worked something out with him." Anni's tone darkened.

"It was Izaya, wasn't it?" Anni didn't answer, choosing instead to glare at the wall behind Celty.

"It's getting to be lunch time. I should get some food and get back before my brother finds out I'm not resting at home."

"Take care then" Celty offered, getting on her bike. "And be careful of the motorcycle cops." With that she was gone.

"So it's started" Anni mused. Hunger drove her to follow her nose out on the street and into a nearby store. She didn't really care what kind of food it served, nor did she look around once inside.

"Annibel Elizabeth Hael" came a scolding tone from behind her. Alex didn't need to raise his voice at all, there was no way she would miss the sound of her full name. **I forgot. He works on this street. It's lunch time. I'm screwed.** Anni wasn't allowed out of the apartment for four days after that, and even then it was only so she could return to work.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Alondor Fridwein**


	6. A day in the park

Anni got out of work after her first day back, and since her brother didn't think to meet her outside the shop and make sure she went home, she was free. She wondered how far things had progressed in the story while she was put back under house arrest. Maya had kept her up with the news, and hadn't heard about any explosion of attacks on the streets, so the saika event was still coming. Maybe it would be tonight. So Anni kept to places Alex wouldn't look for her and occupied herself for a few hours. She wanted to see the brawl in the south park, and there was no way her brother would allow her to attend such a dangerous event. She even turned off her phone.

Anni took to hiding in the shadows at the edge of the south park. She found that if she kept her knife in hand and let her hair hang in front of her eyes, Saika's children didn't bother her as they trickled in and hid in similar ways. Celty and Shizuo showed up not long after Anni, and took up a place in the middle of the park, near the fountain. Anni watched from afar as the spokes-girl approached the pair. The words of the conversation muddled on their way to her ears, but Shizuo leaping into action was impossible to miss. People started flying in every direction, landing in the water, against the rails, in the trash cans, colliding with the light poles. It was fantastic. Anni was entranced by it all. She couldn't tear her eyes from the way Shizuo decimated all within his reach, from the way he moved. She almost didn't notice the hand that fell on her shoulder.

"Please don't turn off your phone again" Alex advised, handing her a pair of tinted sunglasses identical to the ones he was wearing. A kitchen knife hung in his right hand. With the thinly veiled glare he gave her, Anni was almost afraid he would use that knife against her. There would be a harsh lecture awaiting her when she got back home.

"Thinking ahead. Thanks" she said, brushing the hair out of her eyes as she put them on. And with that they watched. A dogpile had started on top of the bodyguard, but that didn't last long. The Saika exploded outward, forcing Anni and Alex to dodge one of the ones unfortunate enough to be blown all the way to where they stood. Shizuo charged through the crowd, knocking away anyone foolish enough to be caught in his path. Anni was drawn forward by something she couldn't explain, only to be stopped by her brothers grip on her good shoulder.

"What, do you want to end up on the receiving end of that force of nature again?" But she wasn't really listening. "Idiot! You're really bloody stubborn, you know that?" Anni laughed at that and allowed her brother to pull her back to their safe place in the shadows as the fighting paused for a moment. Every one of the possessed turned to look in one direction, so the siblings mimicked them to keep their cover. In an alley somewhere, Anri was showing the false mother the mantra of the real Saika. It seemed unnaturally quiet in the sudden absence of fighting. The silence dragged on, making Anni uneasy. It came as a great relief when the brawl started again. "It's not going to last much longer. We should go." Alex tightened his grip on her shoulder. Anni shook him off.

"I want to see the end" she said, prying her eyes from the milling mob. "I'm not leaving yet."

"Fine" he said with an exasperated sigh, leaning against a nearby tree. "It's not like I can get anything through that thick skull of yours anyway."

Shizuo, fully equipped with new gloves, seemed to be thoroughly enjoy beating up the possessed. Left right and center, they flew. The crowd around them surged forward, towards the carnage. It was Alex's grip on the collar of her shirt that kept Anni anchored to their place in the shadows, instead of being swept close enough to have her face walked on. Anni leaned against his side as Shizuo went under not far from them, letting her brother's arm fall protectively around her shoulders. He pulled her to the side as all the saika were ejected from the space around their target, and another one of the possessed nearly hit the pair. The fight unfolded before them both just as they remembered, the shock wave from Shizuo's leaping impact taking their breath away. Then his incredible onslaught continued.

All at once, the movement stopped. Only Shizuo was still in motion, in the middle of throwing a punch. His feet dug into the ground. Anni caught herself holding her breath as his fist came to a stop, not an inch in front of his next victims face. Anni let herself breathe and the world started to move again. The girl recoiled from Shizuo, squeaking in fear. Anni grinned as he broke down laughing, falling on his ass. " _Good for you_ " she said quietly to herself.

"Are you going to stick around and congratulate him, or can I take you home now?" Alex asked, pulling his glasses off Anni's face. She pocketed her knife, reluctant to face her brother's wrath of worry the moment he got her alone.

"I'm tempted to stay…" she admitted, looking around as the people who could still stand started to scatter. With a sigh and a wave, Alex joined them, disappearing far too easily into the crowd. She couldn't avoid him for long. Anni took a moment to turn her phone back on, and with all the movement around her, didn't notice Shizuo approach.

"What're you doing here?" he asked, genuinely surprised to see her. "Were you…?"

"Hm? Oh! Shizuo! It's good to see you" Anni greeted with a grin, pocketing her phone. "That was absolutely incredible!" That seemed to catch him off guard.

"Oh, thanks. Still didn't answer my question."

"I heard something going on, and I couldn't stay away" Anni answered with a shrug. It technically wasn't a lie.

"It's dangerous 'round here. You need to try to keep yourself safe, Anni." The troublemaker in question grinned.

"I'm not in trouble now, am I? I'm just fine." To make a point, Anni spread her arms and spun once around. She was secretly glad she'd left the sling at home when she left for work that morning. The last thing she wanted was for him to know her collarbone wasn't healing quite right. "Good as new."

Shizuo smiled at her and sighed. He watched her for a moment more, as if making sure she wasn't lying before turning to walk away. "Come on. I'll walk you home." Anni was all too happy to skip after him, hands clasped behind her back.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	7. Schemes

An uneventful week followed the Saika incident. Anni did her best to stay indoors most of the time, unless she was walking with her current or former roommate. Even she was vulnerable to a group of yellow scarves, and she knew there would be plenty out looking for a fight. It wasn't even purely self-preservation that drove her to seek company, but the lingering need to keep herself from influencing the story. It scared her to think of what would happen to anyone wearing yellow if Alex or Shizuo heard she'd been assaulted by the gang. She wondered for a while who would do more damage, but eventually gave up. The only conclusion she could draw was that Shizuo would do more physical damage, and Alex would drive every one of them insane.

Anni absently ran her fingers over the small knot on her clavicle; the excessive bone growth that had resulted from the fracture not wanting to heal correctly. The shadows were her friends now, as she watched Alex talking to Shizuo across the street. Her brother had started discreetly packing up his things when she wasn't around. It was almost cute how he tried to hide that he was planning on leaving soon. This morning he had attempted to sneak out without waking her, so she decided she would be using her free time before work to follow him and see what he was planning. What Anni didn't expect was that he would immediately hunt down the bodyguard. **Whatever happened to non-interference?** She didn't have a good view of their faces, and couldn't hear what they were saying, but it seemed civil. After a minute or so, they waved their goodbyes and Alex left Shizuo to his smoke break. Anni sighed. She wouldn't get anywhere like this.

"What are you scheming today?" she asked, trotting up behind her brother as he walked.

"And here I thought you were still sleeping in" Alex said, stopping to ruffle her hair.

"Don't avoid me now, not when you're about to leave" Anni pouted. She stuck her bottom lip out for emphasis.

"Well, you caught me. I'm getting ready to head back home. I can only afford to pay Ryan to feed the cats for so long, y'know" he offered with a noncommittal shrug.

"And what exactly does you going home have to do with Shizuo?" Anni crossed her arms. She felt like he was planning payback for all the headaches she'd put him through since she got here. With their history of prank wars, it wasn't a far fetched idea.

"Ah, you'll have to ask Sir Cancer-Sticks about that one. I'm not at liberty to share that kind of-"

"If you're planning to screw with me right now-"

"No! Calm down. I thought we agreed to leave the pranks behind after the 'incident'." It was Alex's turn to cross his arms.

"We both know who's more likely to break that pact" Anni observed. The staredown was on. It was Simon who broke them up.

"Oh, Alex, Anni! Don't look so sour-faced! Fighting is bad for health. You fight because you're hungry. Eat sushi instead!" he ordered in broken Japanese. He held a basket over one shoulder.

"We're not fighting" the siblings explained in synch, neither uncrossing their arms.

"I'm just sad my big brother will be going back to America soon. I don't know what I'll do without him!" Anni said, letting herself use her puppy-dog eyes. Alex shot her a sidelong glare.

"Then eat at Russia Sushi before you go. I give you discount, you'll be happy again!" Simon gave a wide smile.

"We'll come over for dinner then" Anni promised, returning his smile. Seeming contented with that much, Simon waved and left.

" _What the hell do you think I'm planning for?_ " Alex hissed as soon as Simon was out of earshot.

" _I don't know, that's what scares me_ " Anni replied earnestly.

"Just trust me for once, will you? I'm not going to go through this convoluted of a plan just to spike your food with laxatives." Alex ran one hand back through his hair. It was a small gesture, but a genuine one.

"Alright, I'll trust you. For now. Just don't do anything stupid, ok?" she warned. And that was that. Alex left for wherever his plans wanted to take him, and Anni went home to retrieve her sketch pad.

-!DRRR!-

 **"Just don't do anything stupid."** The phrase ran circles through Alex's mind, teasing him as he walked through Shinjuku. How was what he was about to do anything but stupid? But Anni's safety came first. Had she not been in such a dangerous situation in Ikebukuro, he might have cooked up a nice cocktail of sleep-aid and laxatives for all the trouble she'd caused, but safety always came first. He could even the score in other ways. The building looked familiar, and he could almost feel the eyes on him from the top floor. He didn't doubt he would be expected. As he thought, he was let in without hesitation. After opening the door for him, Namie huffed and went upstairs to get back to whatever work she'd been doing.

"Ah, you two look just alike. You must be Alex-san" Izaya said, looking up from his computer for only a moment. He was lounging comfortably behind his desk, typing away. Alex took a look around, noting the chessboard on the coffee table and the top of the jar behind some books in one of the bookshelves.

"Indeed I am, Kami-sama" Alex said, strolling over to sit on the couch in the living alcove. He looked over the placement of the pieces, going over in his head which represented who.

"What brings you to me today?" Izaya asked, giving his full attention to Alex now.

"I came here for my sister. I want her left off this board." Alex leaned back after assuring himself there weren't any unidentified pieces.

"So you came here to 'take care of me' then?" Izaya asked, swiveling his chair to look directly at where Alex sat.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Ah, I did say that didn't I? Yes, I'm here to 'take care of you' in a way, but only in so far as you're a threat to Anni. I didn't come here to attack you, but to make a deal with you."

"Really?" Izaya leaned forward, propping his elbows on his desk. "And what do you have to offer me for such a deal?"

"Come on Izaya. You're more intelligent than that. Information. You do make a living dealing with it, don't you?"

"And what information would be worth Little Anni's safety to you? What spoilers are you willing to give up to keep her out of trouble?" Izaya's eyes gleamed.

"I'll let you decide that. I'll answer three questions, no holds barred, then Anni and I fall off your radar forever. Does that sound fair?"

-!DRRR!-

Anni was getting impatient. She would probably be better off waiting in her apartment to grill her brother, but she had made her choice, and she was going to follow through with it. Besides, it would likely be easier to get answers out of Shizuo than Alex, as Alex seemed content that she didn't know what was going on. So Anni went back to scrolling through the channels from Shizuo's couch. His apartment hadn't changed from the last time she'd been here, save for her drawing, which she found taped to one of the walls. That made her smile.

"Anni? Why are you here?" Shizuo had somehow managed to slip in without her noticing.

"I wanted to talk to you. You insisted I keep the key, so I assumed I was welcome." Anni gave up her search and flipped the TV off.

"You are. This about what your brother said earlier?"

"Ya. He's leaving soon, and seems to be planning something before he goes. When I asked him about it, he said I should talk to you" Anni explained as Shizuo took his place on the couch beside her.

"I don't know about his plans, but he asked me to keep you out of trouble while he wasn't around. He also said something about you being drawn to the most dangerous situations" he recounted lazily. "After running into you in the alley and the demon sword thing, I don't think he's wrong."

"I don't try to get myself into trouble…" Anni was interrupted by her phone ringing. "Hello?... No, I'm fine, I'm at Shizuo's… Why would Maya..? ...I'll be home soon then" and with that she hung up. "I need to head back to my place" she announced, standing.

"I might as well walk with you. It's dark out." Shizuo stood.

"I know my brother asked you to be my bodyguard too, but it's barely a block away. I'll be fine." Her arguments fell on deaf ears, as he already had his shoes back on.

"Come on" he coaxed, opening the door.

"You're impossible, you know that?"

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo almost made it to the stairs from Anni's door when he heard her shout, "Where the hell do you think you're going?!" He turned to see she had her older brother by his backpack.

"Well, since you're here to entertain Maya, I thought I would head back home" he replied teasingly, twisting from her grip. "I'll see you later sis." Alex danced back, towards the stairs. Anni caught Shizuo's eye, silently pleading for his help. He couldn't leave now. So he reached out and caught the front of Alex's shirt as he tried to squeeze past.

"Give your sister a proper goodbye" he growled at the eldest Hael, lifting him with ease. It was hard to miss the fright that passed across his eyes, something Shizuo was used to seeing by now. Alex quickly tempered his expression and let himself hang limp.

"She hates drawn out goodbyes. I'm trying to-" Alex started to explain quietly, as if to keep his sister from hearing. What stopped him was said sister slamming into him with a flying-tackle-hug. **Does she have no sense of self-preservation?** She hit with enough force to tear him from Shizuo's grip, yet the pair still managed to find their feet. Anni said something in english that he didn't catch, and smacked her brother upside the head before pushing him away. Alex nodded silently and disappeared down the stairs, nursing the shoulder Anni crashed into.

"Thank you" Anni said once her brother was gone. "It really means a lot."

"Ya. You're welcome. I'll see you-" Anni caught Shizuo off guard, pulling him down so she could wrap her arms around his neck. Before he could think to react, she had released him, and was trotting back to her doorway, where another female stood in shock. She pushed her friend back into her apartment and unceremoniously closed and locked the door. **What the hell?**

-!DRRR!-

Anni had no idea how Shizuo would react to that, and she didn't particularly want to stick around and find out. A sigh escaped her as she locked the door. He shouldn't be in a mood to be tearing doors off hinges right now, right?

"That was Heiwajima Shizuo" Maya observed, still processing what she'd seen.

"Ya. I know. I lived on his couch for a month" Anni said, letting herself smile.

"That's the same Heiwajima Shizuo who throws people and vending machines around the city for fun" Maya clarified.

"It's not quite 'for fun', but you are indeed correct." **I'm going to have to call Alex in the morning and demand to know what else he did** Anni mused as she dropped onto her couch.

"Anni! This guy is something straight out of a manga!-"

"-You have no idea-"

"-He's not someone you want to get involved with!"

"Speak for yourself" Anni retorted. Maya huffed at her. "I did mention that I lived on his couch for a month, didn't I?" she added to make a point.

"Yes you did, and it's a wonder you're still ali-" Maya seemed to be struck by some sudden realization. "Anni, how did you say you were hurt last month?"

"I didn't" Anni's tone darkened, and she glared at her friend. "Stop pinning blame on the people around me. It was my own stupidity that got me hurt, and nothing else. Understand?"

"Anni, you're being-"

"So what brought you to endure my brothers company for a full hour?" Anni interrupted, her tone suddenly light.

Maya huffed at her again. She glared into Anni's smile before shaking her head and retrieving a shoulder bag. "Some reckless little girl forgot her sketch pad at the shop" was all the explanation she gave as she returned it.

"You could have just left it with Alex" Anni said, cradling the forgotten article.

"But then I wouldn't have had a chance to look through it. I noticed a bit of a theme in your choice of subjects. You're really are too obsessed with manga, you know."

"What do you mean?" Anni asked innocently, her eyes widening a bit at the accusation.

"What, making up a manga name and drawing everyone around Ikebukuro in that style? Don't think I wouldn't recognize the sushi shop guy and those two talkative regulars from work. What is 'Durarara' supposed to mean, anyway?"

"It's, um…" Anni scratched the back of her neck. How was she supposed to explain this? Maya scoffed at her and pulled the book from Anni's hand, searching through it for a specific page. "Hey, what are you-"

"And who's this guy?" Maya interrogated, pointing to one of the many unpleasant situations Anni had drawn Izaya in. "What the hell did he do to you to make you hate him this much?"

"It's a long story" Anni finally settled on, standing up and taking her sketch pad back.

"Is he an ex then?" Maya assumed, seeming to enjoy having Anni off balance. The blonde went red. She could barely handle talking to him for a few minutes, the thought of DATING the sociopath was a little too much for her to handle.

"N-no! Where do you keep getting these ideas?" she stumbled.

Maya laughed at her. "I'm taking that as a ye-es" she sang, taking her shoulder bag and heading for the door. "I'll see you at work tomorrow. You can give me the full story about you and your ex then." She was gone before Anni could stutter out a response.

"See you" Anni sighed, locking the door after her friend's departure.

 **-A/N-**

 ***Kami-sama: Literally "lord God"**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	8. Traps

Anni quickly found that bringing up what Alex had done the day he left was a bad idea. The first time she called him, she'd started right out interrogating him, and didn't get to hear his voice before he hung up. The second time, she'd asked how his flight was first, and at least got an answer to that. Then she brought it up again and got another earful of dial tone. The third time she called, she found that even hinting at it brought the dreaded dial tone.

"Damn it Alex!" she growled at her phone before calling for the fourth time that morning.

"Hello?" he answered, like nothing had happened. At least he was still taking her calls.

"And you call me stubborn" she accused as she locked her door behind her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" came his mock-innocent reply.

"Of course you don't. So the prank wars really are over, right?"

*Click*, *Beeeeee-* Damn it. That didn't bode well. Anni gave up for now and put her phone away, starting her walk to work. Surely she would find out eventually, even if it was the hard way.

-!DRRR!-

Maya had thrown around small teasing comments and questions about what she called 'Anni's secret relationship' all throughout her shift, which meant Anni was in a foul mood when her shift ended. Was this Maya's revenge for her secrecy? Or was this somehow part of Alex's plan? Anni didn't know what to think anymore. So she started walking through the town in the fading light to try and sort out the mess inside her head. The peace she had expected was far from reality though, as everyone and their mother seemed to have their phone going off.

"The hunt is on!" Anni mocked to no one in particular. Not fifteen minutes later she spotted the pink bunny ears making their way through the crowd. "Run rabbit, run!" she coaxed under her breath. It was a while after that, when Anni had given up on quiet and darkness had fallen, that things settled down. It did nothing to help her mood though. Something between Maya's teasing, her brother's plans, and the events to come tomorrow kept her on edge.

Her only reprieve was when it started raining. It felt satisfying that the weather should match her mood, and Anni had always loved the rain. Something in the droning sound, the crisp smell, and the steady rhythm on her skin always calmed her. She stopped in an open area and leaned her head back, letting herself soak. Her eyes fell closed, not much caring to see what was around her. The yellow scarves were busy now anyway. She thought she could rid herself of her problems if she could just stand here a little longer, but she couldn't. The rain had suddenly stopped hitting her. Her eyes shot open in surprise, taking in the umbrella angled over her head.

"You'll get sick if you stand out here like that" Shizuo lectured.

 **He's going to be shot and left to bleed out in the rain tomorrow evening, and here he is worrying about me getting the sniffles. Why are people afraid of him again?** Anni shook her head at him. "You're taking your new job a little too seriously if you intend on protecting me from a little water."

"I don't think of this as a job" he said, sharing his mobile roof with her as they started walking. It was late by now, so Anni didn't need to ask to know where they were going.

"So you don't think my brother promoted you to be my guardian in his absence?" Anni prodded. She knew it wasn't wise, considering who she was talking to, but she still wasn't in a good mood.

"It doesn't matter. I would be doing the same thing if he hadn't talked to me" Shizuo explained offhandedly.

"I know, and that worries me" Anni muttered to herself.

"Why would that worry you?" He'd apparently heard her.

"Because Alex probably knew that too, which only begs the question of why he bothered. It could have just been a formality, but I think it's more likely a part of whatever else he'd had planned. I still don't know what he set up…" Anni thought aloud, wishing she could go back to relaxing in the rain to sort it out.

"Why are you so suspicious of your brother? It sounded to me like he was only trying to look out for you." Even wrapped up in her own thoughts as she was, Anni didn't let herself miss the way his eyebrow twitched. **Careful** she reminded herself.

"Because we have a history of messing with each other like this. Would it make any sense if I said I could trust him with my life but not my food?" she asked as they stopped at a red light.

"Not really, but I think I see what you mean. You're saying that you and your brother work out your problems by setting up traps for each other instead of fighting directly, right?"

"Almost exactly. We call it 'The Great Prank Wars'. It started out with small things. I stole his lunch once, so he put something in my food the next day that dyed my mouth blue. When he made fun of my haircut a week later, he woke up with blue hair. Just small things, mostly jokes, never harmful" Anni described. They were nearly to her apartment now.

"You said it started with small things, how did it end?" he asked. He almost missed how abruptly Anni stopped, and had to take a step back to keep her under the umbrella. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"It escalated over the years. We both got pretty bad, but I was the one who crossed the line first. I really don't want to go into it, but something went wrong. Terribly wrong. Alex got hurt." Anni wouldn't meet his eyes, instead sadly appraising something on the ground behind him. "It was pretty hectic for a while after that, but we agreed immediately to stop the prank wars. Even if we made an agreement, I don't think he ever forgave me for what happened. Honestly, I wouldn't blame him. I haven't even forgiven myself." Anni gave a small smile and forced a laugh, both of which quickly faded. "I'm only worried now because of everything I've put him through over the past few months. It would be more than enough to warrant him breaking our pact to get one final dose of revenge."

"And why are you so sure that's what he was planning? He could just be trying to protect you, even if you don't know everything he's doing. That's what big brothers are supposed to do" Shizuo asserted adamantly. Anni nodded hesitantly and started walking again.

"It still worries me. I guess there's nothing I can do about it now though. Thanks." The remainder of the walk passed quietly. It wasn't until Anni had already unlocked her door that she broke the silence. "Hey, Shizuo" she called as he walked away.

"Ya?"

"Take care of yourself, ok? There's been a lot going on lately, and…" Shizuo laughed at her hesitant remarks.

"I'll be fine, you don't need to worry about someone like me."

"Just be careful" Anni cautioned. Shizuo just waved and walked away, still smiling at her silly worries.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	9. Mistakes

Maya took a day off work the next morning, so Anni was thankfully spared more teasing. The day was going slowly, so she got plenty of time to just listen to the incessant pounding of water on everything outside while she worked. When her shift finally ended, she stood under her umbrella for a moment, a bit lost. **What should I do?** Her lingering anxiety wouldn't allow her to sit still in her lonely apartment. She couldn't attend any of the major events that would come later this evening. Maya was busy, and everyone else she knew would be doing things she couldn't get anywhere near, for fear of changing them.

Her feet decided for her, leading her to wander about. Even the rain bouncing off her umbrella and the assurance that everything would turn out right didn't quite dispel the gnawing feeling that something was going to go wrong anyway. The foreboding curled in her stomach, making her uneasy. So Anni did the only thing she could think of; she called Alex. When a few rings went by, she was worried he wouldn't pick up, but he seemed to catch it at the last second.

"Yo."

"Hey. Are you busy?" Anni asked. She didn't even know what she wanted to say, she just didn't want to be alone with her thoughts.

"A bit. Is this important, or just another interrogation?" Alex asked, his tone suddenly biting.

"Nothing too important. I'll just call you later" Anni offered with resignation.

"Talk to you later, Trouble" he said, hanging up on his sister before she could respond. She was alone. That was part of her problem. Anni advocated for being able to take care of herself, and being otherwise independent, but she didn't like being alone. Her feet had started moving again while she thought. She walked without notice like this for a while, her mind wandering from her current problems to her past, to Shizuo, to Izaya, and how long he would leave her alone.

It came as a great surprise when she wandered into an alley, and found herself staring down two pools of blood the rain was slowly washing away. A small brown parcel and a clear umbrella lay to one side. Anni stood in silence, somehow stunned that he had done exactly what she'd expected; gotten back up. Once she'd gotten over her shock, she picked up and closed his umbrella, and retrieved the parcel. She decided to buy some bandages as well, as the ones Shinra was going to put on, or was putting on right now, would only last so long. Anni wasn't about to hunt Shizuo down, he had better things to do, so she left the gifts on his coffee table and locked the door again behind her. From there she tried to set out wandering again. The rain stopped soon after she left, so she gave up on avoiding her empty apartment and went home.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo was frustrated. It made sense, now that he thought about it. All the little things that bugged him about her came together. Even when they'd first met, she hadn't asked anything about where she was, or who they were. She'd just accepted it. When she told him it was the flea who trashed her apartment, she didn't so much as flinch at his reaction, like she'd expected him to know who and where the flea was. Even when she'd seen him lose control and chase the flea off of her the next day, she didn't seem the least bit surprised. Anni always seemed simply to understand him and his rage, without question. Now this. It was far too much of a coincidence that after never showing concern for his physical well-being, she would demand he be careful the night before he's shot. It couldn't be a coincidence that she'd not only found and returned what he'd dropped, but brought him extra bandages as he was bleeding through the ones Shinra had put on. He knocked loudly at her door. There was a shuffling within, so he didn't bother knocking again. He would probably put a hole through the door if he did.

"Who are you and what do you want this late at night?" Anni groaned through the door, obviously just waking up.

"Open up. I want to ask you something" he demanded.

"Shizuo…?" he heard the click of the lock and the door came open to reveal Anni in what he recognised as her favorite pajamas. "What's this about?"

"How did you know I was going to be shot today?" Shizuo asked calmly. What had once been surprise in Anni's features morphed quickly into confusion and terror. The was more fear in her eyes now than Shizuo had ever seen. She hadn't been this afraid when he first found her, drugged and fighting for her life in the back of a van. She hadn't been this afraid when he'd found her curled in a ball in an alleyway after chasing off the flea. She wasn't this afraid of him while he was shaking her in anger the night she convinced him to let her sleep on the couch, or even when he'd thrown her into a wall after she'd pulled a knife on him, but she was terrified now. It didn't make any sense.

"What gave you that idea?" she asked in a small, weak voice, trying to force a smile over the expression he'd seen not a moment before. He just glowered down at her, waiting for his answer. Anni's little smile slowly disappeared. "Shizuo, I… I can't answer that."

"Why not? It's a simple question." Anni hung her head. He wasn't going to get anywhere asking about this. "Then what else do you know about what's going to happen?" he continued. Anni's head snapped up at the question, her eyes once again filled with that same fear. She was cowering back, clinging to the doorknob.

"I can't answer that either Shizuo, I'm sorry" she said sadly, swiftly closing the door in his face. Shizuo stiffly stalked away. If he stayed any longer he knew things would end badly, and he couldn't let himself lose his temper now, not with her. He'd hurt her one too many times already.

-!DRRR!-

Alex was jerked from his dead sleep by his phone ringing. He wasn't surprised to see who it was, or the time. 6:29 AM. Just before his usual alarm. "Anni, if you're going out of your way to wake me up, good job. Now what do you want?"

"I'm sorry, I thought-" *Beep beep beep bee-* Alex was quick to silence the screeching.

"What do you want?" he asked again, rubbing his eyes. He hoped she didn't ask more about what he did while he was still in Japan. He didn't want the reminder.

"Shizuo figured it out" she said curtly. Even the phone didn't distort her voice enough to cover her worry.

"Shit."

"My thoughts exactly" Anni said with a sad, quickly decaying laugh.

"How did he figure it out?" Alex got up and pinned his cell between his shoulder and ear while he started getting ready.

"I think I did something stupid. I just wasn't thinking."

"That doesn't help me at all, Anni."

"Last night was the yellow scarves fight in the abandoned factory."

"Ya I know, so he got shot and threw around a giant street sign. What did you do?"

"I left him a present of the stuff he dropped when he was shot and some fresh bandages" she explained haltingly.

"... You're an idiot."

"Tell me something I don't know." There was a cushioned impact of some sort followed by a muffled sigh from her end. Alex could only picture his sister faceplanting into her couch again.

"I can't help you."

"I expected as much." Anni's words were slightly muted.

"Is there anything else, or do you just want to rant for a while?"

"Could you drop by the MIB universe and grab me a neuralizer?" she suggested hopelessly. Alex laughed.

"I wish. You knew we could only get one link though. You made your choice."

"But you're Alexander the Magnificent! Surely you could make another if you put your mind to it!"

"I could ask Shizu-chan to punch a hole into another universe for me" he joked in return. He was met with silence for his trouble.

"You're mean" Anni said after a moment.

"Ya, well, I never claimed to be nice. I'm going to go take my shower now, so unless you want me to test how waterproof your only way to reach me-" *Click*, *Beeeee-* So he really had made her mad. Good. She wouldn't worry as much about everyone else if she's angry with him. He put his phone away and went on with his day.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	10. Guilt

Anni had today off, but she really didn't want to go wandering about outside. No matter where she went it was likely she would run into Shizuo. Staying locked up alone in her apartment didn't sound appealing either, but it seemed better than facing more questioning, or having her skeleton restructured when she didn't answer. It took a while of staring at her ceiling, but she finally decided on a compromise between the two. She would go out for a short time to pick up the laptop she'd had her eye on, then she could fester in her room without being so miserable. It was a small enough risk to be acceptable. She had wanted to save a little bit more money as a safety net, but with both her physical and mental safety at stake, it should be worth it.

So Anni ventured out into the jungle of a city, making a bee-line for the electronics store. She quickly found the laptop, and almost cried out in joy when she saw it was on sale. After picking up a shoulder bag to carry it in, the little blonde carefully made her way back home. Anni heaved a mighty sigh as she closed her front door behind her back. She'd made it. The laptop was set up swiftly, and Anni found something interesting in her internet capabilities. If she connected her phone to her laptop, she could switch between the internet of this universe and her home universe. That was promising. It meant she could still use all her old sites and catch up with a few friends she'd lost contact with after the move to Japan. Anni wouldn't be so alone after all.

-!DRRR!-

Work the next day went fairly well. Anni finally convinced Maya to drop the constant jokes about Izaya, and she got to actually talk to her friend for the day. There had only been one or two mentions of the joke or Izaya's name by the time their shift ended. "We still have some daylight left, where do you want to go?" Maya asked as they stepped out of the shop.

"I actually just wanna head home right now, but thanks for the offer" Anni said, starting to turn towards her apartment. Maya caught her arm before she could complete her turn.

"Come on Anni, are you avoiding me now?"

"No, you're not who I'm avoiding…" Anni admitted. There was no point in keeping it from Maya, so long as she didn't go too far into why.

"Oh? Who is it then? Are you trying to stay away from your ex still-" Maya's eyes flicked up to something behind Anni, which the flustered girl failed to notice. **And here I thought she'd dropped the Izaya thing.**

"Seriously, would you stop it? That man is nothing more than a pain in the ass, and a dangerous one at that! How many times do I have to say that I have never, and could never date him?!"

"Anni...?"

"What?" Anni demanded, rounding on whoever had snuck up behind her. She came face to face with Shizuo. All color and irritation fell from her face. She fell back a step. "Shi-" Maya yanked on her arm, dragging her into a dead run in the opposite direction. Anni could do nothing more than follow her for a few blocks, until the pair came to a stop in a park. Her roommate had been left behind, somehow unmotivated to follow their flight.

"I assume… that Heiwajima Shizuo is… who you're avoiding" Maya said between breaths. Anni nodded.

"Ya. Just... no more questions, 'kay?" Anni said, finding a place to sit.

"Not again. Anni, you never tell me anything. Ever!" Maya complained, sitting next to her coworker.

"Not true! I tell you almost everything" Anni corrected.

"You don't tell me the important things" Maya pointed out.

"That's because my life is absurd" Anni sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me" Maya challenged. Anni appraised her for a moment.

"Not here. Not now" she finally decided.

"Of course not. Where then?" Maya asked, getting to her feet.

"My apartment would probably work best" Anni offered after a few seconds.

"You are determined to hide at home, aren't you?" she demanded, crossing her arms at the unmoving blonde.

"I'm determined to keep the life I've built here. Sometimes that requires things I don't like. I screwed up recently, which is why I have to avoid people I like, even if I don't want to. Do you need a better reason?" Anni crossed her arms and legs stubbornly. Maya stared down at her for a minute before making a show of giving up with an exasperated sigh.

"I just can't win with you Anni! I'm going to go home then. You can spill all your precious secrets later. See ya." Maya danced off, though not towards her home. Anni wrote it off and took the back way to her apartment. She'd had enough stress already today, and didn't want to run into the bodyguard again.

-!DRRR!-

Maya was far too impatient to wait for Anni to tell her what was going on. She skipped down to the manga shop, where she'd last seen her friend's former roommate. Maya spotted him along the way, sulking and smoking. "Heiwajima-san?" Maya asked in way of greeting as she approached.

"Ya?" he responded after a moment.

"You're a friend of Anni's right?" she asked cheerfully.

"Guess you could say that. Is there something you want?" Shizuo asked carefully.

"I'm Maya, Anni's coworker. She seemed rather upset and I was wondering-"

"Then go talk to her" he cut in. Maya didn't miss a beat.

"Ah, but she doesn't want to tell me-"

"Then it's none of your business" he said harshly, before turning and trudginging away. Maya hadn't expected that.

-!DRRR!-

A full, quiet day had passed since her run in with Shizuo. Anni was pulled from her music and brooding by knock at her door. She almost didn't want to answer, but she got up anyway. "Yes?" she asked the closed door, wondering which voice would greet her. But no voice came. Instead whoever it was knocked again. Anni could feel the slight burst of adrenaline as it invaded her bloodstream. Who wouldn't answer her? Only people who she didn't want in her home. She pulled out her knife and made sure the chain was in place on the door before opening it the few inches to see into the hallway outside. Instead of the ruffians she expected, she saw Celty.

"I'm sorry to bother you. May I come in?" her PDA read.

"Of course, just a moment." Anni quickly shut the door to unhook the chain and slipped her knife back into her pocket before opening the door wide enough to admit the fairy.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem. It's actually been lonely here since my brother went back home. What is this about?"

"I'm worried about Shizuo." When Anni gave her a confused look, she continued. "He's seemed really upset these past few days, and won't talk about it. I was wondering if you knew anything about what happened."

"Ah, that's actually my fault" Anni admitted, avoiding looking directly at her guest.

"What happened?"

"I can't really say. It's a bit personal" Anni occupied herself scratching the back of her neck.

"Could you try to work it out with him soon?"

"I don't know."

"Please? I don't like seeing him like this."

"I don't want him to be so upset either… I'll see what I can do."

"I'm sorry again for bothering you" Celty typed, making her way to the door.

"Really, don't worry about it. I'm glad you came to visit." Anni smiled. Celty nodded once and left the girl to her guilt.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	11. Rain

Anni couldn't stand running away and hiding from his questions for long. By the end of the next day, she decided she had to deal with him herself. But how was she supposed to handle this? She was so afraid of giving away too much, or not giving him enough information, and ending up hurt. The only way she could think to avoid that would be to apologize at a distance, but could she pull that off? Maybe. He might accept more drawings as a sort of payment, seeing how he liked the last one she did. Maybe, if she eased some of the tension that way, he might let her off with less questioning. So Anni made her decision, and set to work. Instead of sulking behind her laptop, she poured her time and energy into another project. It took a few days of her time, but once she was satisfied with it, she wrote out her apology on the back and gave it a safe home in her bag. Now all she needed was the courage and timing to sneak it into Shizuo's apartment.

The next day seemed her best chance, though Anni wasn't feeling her best. She ended up asking for the afternoon off work because she was feeling a bit sick, which left her more than enough time to drop it off. From what she recalled, Shizuo usually ate lunch with Tom when he worked, and wouldn't be found in his apartment in the afternoon. So she made her way to his door, her peace offering clutched in one hand while she fiddled with the key. The door swung open obediently and she stepped out of her shoes while she pushed it closed again behind her. Then she looked up. Shizuo was sitting on his couch in only a pair of sweatpants, with his feet up on the coffee table. The bandages still around his torso were plain to see. A book rested in his hands, and an empty bowl complete with spoon sat next to his crossed ankles. They stared at each other for a few seconds in surprise.

"You… don't have work today, I take it" Anni observed, holding the paper in front of her chest like a shield against any questions he might ask.

"Ya" he replied, caught up in the same shock she was.

"I came here to apologize" she explained, breaking eye contact to ponder the thing she'd drawn. It suddenly seemed wholly inadequate. "I've been cruel, and I'm sorry." Anni flinched as she heard his book slam shut, closing her eyes tight. She came here to apologize for running away. She couldn't run away again, no matter what happened. Anni stayed where she was, waiting. Because he was barefoot, she didn't hear his approach. She flinched again when she looked up to find him standing only a few feet in front of her.

"Why won't you answer my questions?" he asked too calmly. Anni had expected him to be mad at her for what she'd done. She had not expected him to look so sad.

"Because everything about this is supposed to be a secret. You were never meant to figure out that I know more than I should. I technically never should have met you to begin with."

"Is that what this is all about? Do you regret meeting me now?" His tone was suddenly chilling. His jaw clenched in what Anni assumed to be an attempt to control himself. The very air around him changed into a palpable threat. She hated the way his eyes twisted in betrayal and anger.

"What? No! How-" Her feet left the ground. It was apparent that he didn't need to use both hands to haul her up by her shirt, but it certainly had a terrifying effect.

"That wasn't what you said five seconds ago!" he accused. If she didn't do something she was going to get flying lessons.

"How could I regret meeting my best friend?!" she shouted at him, creating her own anger to control her fear. It wasn't just her safety at stake now, it was her relationship with him that was threatened. She grabbed hold of his wrists, digging her nails into his skin. "I meant that I never planned on meeting you in person! I was going to keep my distance and not interfere. But you saved my life, Shizuo. Who in their right mind would regret that?"

"So you don't hate me now? Make up your mind already" Shizuo ordered. Anni was taken aback.

"Where did you hear that I hated you?" she asked in a small voice, both anger and fear evaporated.

"... You don't even remember" he observed, his expression slipping from angry to impassive.

"Remember wh-ah!" Anni gasped as she was dropped without warning, and left to trip over her shoes and fall on her ass. Shizuo turned away and stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking to his room.

"You can go now, Hael-san" he advised flatly before disappearing behind the slammed door. Anni sat in shock for a moment. Picking herself back up was harder than she expected, even though she wasn't injured. She glared down at the stupid picture she'd drawn. It stayed right where she'd dropped it as she staggered into the hallway and down the stairs. Her feet guided her home without any help.

Once she found her couch, and screamed into a pillow, she let herself think again. He'd called her by her surname. He'd never done that before. It hurt a lot more than she wanted to admit. What had she done to make him that angry, that he would resort to hurting her like that? He didn't throw her, or really yell at her, or break any bones. No. He had to call her by her last name. What in the world had she forgotten? Had she really done something that would make him think she hated him? She'd been avoiding him, sure, but she thought her motives in that were clear enough to see.

She hadn't really spoken to him since he confronted her the night he was shot, save for when he caught her outside her work half a week ago. Even then she hadn't said a full two words to him. **But I said more to Maya.** Anni's eyes widened as the scene played out before her again. He'd waited outside the shop for a chance to talk to her, probably like he'd tried to do the day before. She didn't even see him as she walked out, being too busy talking to Maya to look around. And he'd heard everything.

"No, you're not who I'm avoiding…" she'd said.

"Oh? Who is it then? Are you trying to stay away from your ex still-" Maya had taunted.

"Seriously, would you stop it? That man is nothing more than a pain in the ass, and a dangerous one at that! How many times do I have to say that I have never, and could never date him?!" She'd been talking about Izaya. An image flashed across her mind's eye, reminding her of the look on his face when she rounded on him. Her shock had kept her from really noticing at the time, but he was surprised, and hurt. He had thought she was talking about him. He thought she'd come to hate him because he figured out her secret. Then she ran away.

Well, she was certainly running now. Sketchbook in hand, she covered the distance between the apartment complexes as quickly as she could. She couldn't remember if she'd even closed her door on her way, and she certainly hadn't locked it. But she didn't care. She didn't care if he saw all the spoiler filled pictures she'd done, she was going to convince him of the truth of who she was talking about. His door was locked. He'd probably just locked it after he was sure she was gone. "Shizuo!" Anni called as she pushed the door open. No answer came. She kicked off her shoes as quickly as she could and ran back to wrench open his bedroom door. "I wasn't talking about-" It was empty. She turned around. The bathroom door was wide open, revealing no bleach-blond bodyguard. He'd left.

Now that she looked around more, Anni noticed both of the pictures she'd given him lying face-down on the kitchen counter. He'd even taken down the picture that had earned a place on his wall. That was a low blow. She needed to find him. She could technically call him, but this was a conversation that needed to happen in person. "He can't have gotten far" she reasoned aloud, shoving her feet back into her shoes and making sure to lock his door as she took off running again.

She must have covered most of Ikebukuro before nightfall. So much for getting some rest. Her feet were killing her. Then it started raining. Her sketchbook was far from waterproof, so she sought shelter under a nearby overhang. She just stood there, still catching her breath and occasionally coughing as the rain pattered its normally soothing tune. It wasn't a blessing now, it was a curse. She looked down at the thing clutched to her chest. How had she come to think that this would save her? It had already done more harm than good. It's because of this stupid book that Maya had started teasing her to begin with, then she'd said those horrible things. It's not like it actually held any proof that would convince Shizuo. So she gave up waiting. Anni stepped out into the rains influence, paper and all. She ignored her feet and just walked for a while, getting lost in the downpour. The soaked and ruined book found its way to a trashcan along the way.

Anni stopped when she found herself looking out over an intersection from the edge of a raised parking lot. The place seemed familiar. Her feet were still complaining, so she climbed up to sit on the railing, with her back to parking lot. There was the odd moving umbrella on the street below her vantage point, but not many people were about. It was raining anyway. No one looked up while it was raining. Well, almost no one. The last person she ever wanted to see smirked up at her from the street, clean and dry under his umbrella. Anni didn't have the energy to react. She just gave him a bored stare. He walked down the street towards her, and hung a left, disappearing from her view. It didn't surprise her when his voice found her a minute later.

"That's a pretty poor distance to jump from. You'll probably just break your legs and drown in a puddle" Izaya observed.

"I have no love for the darkness. I don't really feel like jumping today" Anni said dryly.

"You don't have to be the one to jump though." Izaya rested a hand on her shoulder, unsteadying her a little. Anni really didn't feel like playing his games today either.

"You may be a sadistic bastard, but you're not a cold-blooded killer."

"You sound so sure of yourself, Anni-chan" he said, retracting his hand.

"Maybe. Maybe I'm just sure I'm an idiot. I don't really know anymore."

"So what brings you out here on this beautiful night?" Izaya asked, turning to lean back against the railing.

"I was looking for someone" she sniffed, scratching her irritated and now runny nose.

"Who were you trying to find?"

"Your beloved Shizu-chan."

"You of all people should know how I regard that beast." Izaya glared at her from under the safety of his umbrella, finally dropping the smile.

"Ah, do I? Y'know, if you've ever seen the internet where I'm from, there are a LOT of people who would disagree with you." Anni managed a weak smile. She was irritating the pest.

"If you're not going to play nice, I'll leave you to your misery" he relented, disappearing. Anni was indeed miserable.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	12. Sniffles

Part of Anni wasn't surprised the next day when she found her key didn't fit the lock at Shizuo's apartment. He really didn't want her around. It was over. She'd lost. She didn't even care anymore that he had been her only connection to the story she adored. He'd been her friend and roommate, and she screwed it all up. She was too tired for this anymore. It was only 7PM, but Anni went home and went to bed. She'd woken up with a sore throat that morning, among other ailments from the day before, and going to work for the full day only made her feel worse. Anni made herself into a warm blanket-burrito on her bed and got some much needed rest.

Waking up seemed to mean dragging herself from one dream to another, more painful one. She was shivering, and ached everywhere. Sweat drenched her poor blankets. Getting up to get a glass of water proved a bad idea, as the floor didn't want to stay still. She had no idea what time or day it was, but dialed Maya's number anyway. Thankfully, her friend picked up. "Anni, do you know what time it is?" she groaned.

"No. Maya, I need you. I have a fever and I can't see straight" Anni croaked at the phone.

"You sound terrible. Fine, I'll come get you" she agreed. "Make sure your door is unlocked for me, or I'm leaving you to wallow" Maya said before hanging up. Following instructions was hard. Anni eventually managed to stumble to the door and fumbled at the lock, with much assistance from walls and furniture. Then she stumbled to her couch and lost consciousness again.

-!DRRR!-

Everything was white. The sterile theme and smell permeated every surface. She was in a hospital. " _Sit up for me sweetie_ " the kind voice beside her asked. Light brown waves of hair hung from her ponytail, to rest on the collar of her scrub top. **Mom**. Anni did as she was asked and breathed on cue. " _Well, at least your lungs are clear_ " she said, hanging her stethoscope back around her neck. " _You really scared everyone. Don't do that again_ " she chastised. Anni only nodded. Her mom walked away, pausing at the door. " _She's awake, you can go in now_ " she announced before disappearing completely. The three people Anni wanted to see most filed in the doorway.

"Anniiii! You idiot! You woke me up just so I could go to your house and call an ambulance for you" Maya complained, lightly backhanding her arm. Now that she mentioned it, Anni vaguely remembered being in an ambulance.

"I'm sorry, I had a fever, I wasn't thinking straight" she said, turning her attention to the next in line. Alex stood on one side of her bed, his arms crossed, like they always were when he felt like lecturing her.

"What did I say about taking care of yourself?" He gently messed up her hair.

"That I should avoid it at all costs?" Anni joked in return, smiling.

"I really do need to hire someone to look out for you every minute of every day" Alex sighed, turning away. So Anni turned her attention to the last in line. Shizuo stood at the far corner of her bed smiling.

"Don't worry about it" he interrupted as she tried to speak. "We'll work it out when you're well again." Anni was about to thank him when she was interrupted again by a disturbance on her bed. White paws forced her to lay back down, though they were surprisingly heavy.

"Brucie! I've missed you too" Anni laughed as the mostly muscle, black and white cat settled with sprawling across her front and purring.

Anni's eyes fluttered open. It was another dream. Everything was still white. Still in the hospital. If she was going to be set up in a dream again, the least her mind could do was change the setting. Anni groaned and closed her eyes again. She just wanted to wake up already.

"Anni? What's wrong?" came a concerned voice from beside her bed. Anni didn't need to open her eyes again to know who it was. It was the last voice she heard in her previous dream.

"I-" she croaked, forcing herself to stop and clear her throat. "I'm sick of my obnoxiously vivid dreams tricking me into thinking I'm awake. I just want to wake up for real already."

"Good thing you're awake now then" the voice asserted, as if just saying she was awake would make it so.

"That's what my mom said in my last dream" Anni noted, opening her eyes to appraise the owner of the voice. Shizuo sat in the chair beside her bed. "At least they're getting more believable. It's only one person this time, not everyone and my cat. I might be able to wake up after this one." Shizuo's brows drew together in confusion.

"Do you really think you're still asleep?" he asked. Anni closed her eyes and leaned her head back again, ignoring his question.

"It's still not entirely realistic though. It should be Maya sitting around, waiting for me to wake up. The real Shizuo is still mad at me. I'm pretty sure he wants nothing to do with me anymore."

"Your friend's at work, and I'm not mad at you."

"Of course you're not. This is my dream. Since it's not a nightmare, it's going to show me exactly what I want to see. Hence why you're here."

"You're being entirely unreasonable, Anni" Shizuo growled. Something cool touched her forehead, making her eyes snap open reflexively. Shizuo carefully removed the back of his hand and sat back down. "'least your fever is almost gone."

"Shouldn't you be at work too then?"

"Tom-san gave me the rest of the day off when your friend said you were in the hospital." Anni turned her full attention to her visitor now.

"Maya hunted you down?" she asked, but didn't get her answer. A nurse came waltzing in cheerily. She changed Anni's IV, took notes on how she felt, and took her temperature: 99.1, barely a fever at all. Then she left Anni and Shizuo alone again. "Maybe I am finally awake" Anni mused, staring at the ceiling. Shizuo laughed at her revelation.

"Are you finally coming to your senses now?"

"Shut up" Anni said weakly, turning her face away to hide her smile. "You really aren't mad at me anymore?" she asked cautiously. "I mean, you changed the lock and everything."

"Naw, I just screwed up again. I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously when you came to apologize."

"Give me some credit too" Anni said, turning to look at him. "You're not that only one at fault in this." Shizuo didn't really respond, staring at the other side of the room. "So how did Maya convince you I didn't really hate you?"

"She just came up and told me you were in the hospital. When I said I didn't want to bother you, she started going off about how you only hated one guy who you kept drawing being beaten up. Who is that, by the way?"

"I only ever draw the flea like that. And that's who I was talking about last week, outside my work." Anni added emphatically, trying to sit up. Shizuo quickly quashed her attempts with a hand on her shoulder, pushing her to lay back down. She couldn't hope to fight him when she was at her best, there was no way she could succeed now.

"Calm down" he ordered. When Anni sighed and gave up, he sat back down. "She told me that you only hated the flea, and always spoke highly of me. Then she started going on 'bout why she thought you hated him…" Anni shook her head.

"She actually told you her stupid theory? I only hate one person, but I swear I hated the jokes she made about him more." They both fell silent. Anni let her eyes fall closed in the quiet.

"I'll let you get some rest" Shizuo announced, standing.

"Thank you" Anni said quietly, drifting off again.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	13. Lunch

Anni was discharged after three days. A very quiet, lonely, three days. She'd spent a good amount of her time asleep, but Maya only came by once the first day, and Shizuo didn't show up again at all. **He must be sick of hospitals by now** she reasoned. Anni was glad to have the chance to go home again. Even if she wouldn't be able to return to work for another day or so, returning to a little bit of her normal life was pleasant. She spent some time on her laptop at home before deciding fresh air and sushi would be best to aid in her recovery. Just as she locked her door, she turned to find she wasn't alone. Both Maya and Shizuo stood at the top of the stairs.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" Anni greeted. Maya skipped up to give her a hug, while Shizuo stayed patiently where he was.

"I talked him into coming to visit you again" Maya confided before letting go. A wide grin followed.

"You didn't need to do that" Anni said, laughing.

"Come on already! Let's go somewhere. Where were you going to go, Anni" Maya demanded, skipping backwards towards the stairs. She nearly ran right into Shizuo, who had to move out of her way.

"I was just going to go to Russia Sushi…" Anni answered hesitantly. She was half afraid of what her friend would do with the information

"Ah, that sounds like a good idea" Shizuo added.

"Then come on you slowpokes!" Maya chimed, already halfway down the stairs. Anni didn't bother changing her pace, instead strolling down the stairs. Her self-appointed bodyguard followed just behind her. They were forced to follow behind Maya for a good part of the walk, as she coaxed them on.

"What are you trying to pull, Maya?" Anni called after her as they walked. Maya faltered only for a moment.

"Nothing! I'm just happy you're all better again!" she called back. Anni shook her head.

"She's really too-" Anni was cut off by Shizuo's growl. She could feel the change before her eyes landed on him and his twisted eyebrows. He glared down the street at Izaya, who was smirking at the pair from a few stores down. Anni took a few cautious steps back from her friend. It didn't matter who she was when he crossed the line, she would get hurt.

"Anni, what's wrong?" Maya asked, skipping up. Anni caught her shoulder before she got any closer to Shizuo, and started pulling her away.

"Izaya-kun!" he called. The man in question didn't seem to feel like talking today, so he immediately started running. Shizuo responded by taking off at full force. He left a small shock wave in his wake, which served to scare the wits out of Maya and make Anni grin. The chase was on. Both the informant and bodyguard disappeared quickly. The pair left behind were both seized by different emotions that left them motionless.

"B-but he was perfectly calm a second ago, and n-no one said or did anything, how did…" Maya stuttered, gripping Anni's arm.

"That's how it is with the flea. For Shizuo, Izaya daring to draw breath in Ikebukuro is enough offense to deserve immediate annihilation. Isn't he amazing though?" Anni said, starting to guide her friend back towards their destination.

"He's terrifying" Maya decided. "I've heard about what he does, but I've never seen him do anything in person. It's terrifying" Anni just laughed at her and pushed her onwards.

"How's it going Simon?" Anni greeted as they ran into him outside the restaurant.

"Anni! Have you and your friend come to eat sushi?"

"Yup! We have one more friend coming to join us, but he's going to be a little late. Could you let Shizuo know we're waiting for him when he shows up?"

"Of course! Enjoy!" Simon chimed while he waved them in. Once inside, Anni and Maya took their seats at a table and ordered drinks while they waited.

"How do you handle it?" Maya had been really quiet up until now, in stark contrast to before the chase began.

"How about we trade questions?" Anni offered in return. Maya huffed at her.

"Fine. Answer my questions and I'll answer yours" she agreed.

"What did you mean by what you asked? It was rather vague"

"I meant… how do you handle being around him so much? Knowing that he could snap so easily and…" Maya eyed her with concern. Anni shrugged.

"It's not that bad. I've figured out more or less what not to say, and it's not like he's as ready to kill me as he is Izaya. I've only made him angry with me a few times, but I've lived to tell the tale, so I'm not really worried." Anni explained.

"You're insane if he doesn't scare you at all" she accused.

"I never claimed to be sane in the least! And for the record, I'm actually more afraid of pissing off my big brother. Now my turn. What exactly were you planning before Shizuo left?" Anni's eyes gleamed. Alex had rubbed off on her.

"You don't pull punches, do you?"

"Does that count as one of your questions?" Anni's smile widened to match her eyes.

"No. Fine, if you must know, I was trying to set you up on a date" Maya admitted, avoiding her eyes.

"... What?"

"I was going to ditch you guys as soon as we got here, and make you eat alone. Don't worry too much, Shizuo-san didn't know about it either" Maya explained as their drinks arrived. Anni broke out laughing as her drink was placed in front of her. She had to stifle it behind her hand to not disturb the other customers. "Anni, what's…" Maya trailed off as she spotted Shizuo. He wandered in with his clothes cut in a few places, and made his way to their table.

"What's going on?" he asked as he sat down.

"Maya, that hardly counts!" Anni finally squeaked out. "We used to eat here together all the time"

"Oh, back when you were still staying with me? It's been awhile since we've had dinner together, hasn't it?" Shizuo added.

"It has. Especially with recent events… I'm glad we finally made it back" Anni said cheerfully.

"Me too" Shizuo said returning her smile. They ordered their food and were well into enjoying it when Maya spoke up.

"It's my turn now, right?"

"Oh, for the questions? Shoot" Anni answered.

"What does 'Durarara' mean?" Maya asked innocently. Anni dropped her food, her face frozen in surprise. She slowly started shaking her head.

"It's nonsense" Anni replied, standing.

"Hey, Anni!" Shizuo called after her as she walked away. She stopped to pay for everyone's meals, then was out on the street again. She had covered a few blocks before she realized she was being followed. It wasn't hard for her to guess who it was, so she ignored her tail and made for the little store where she'd bought her sketchbook months ago. She would have to be more careful about what exactly she drew in the new one. She was stopped as she walked out carrying her new prize. "A new drawing pad?" Shizuo asked, a burning cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"Ya. My last one got ruined in the rain" Anni replied, starting back towards home. She was still sick, and had a headache now. A nap sounded like the best thing in the world.

"What were you doing out in the rain?" He asked, becoming her tail again.

"Being stupid"

"That's not a real answer" Shizuo observed grumpily.

"At least it's not a lie"

"So it's just another question you won't answer?" His accusation made her stop. Anni turned back to face him, her new book gripped to her chest.

"It's not related to the… other questions." she explained. Shizuo didn't look happy, but he didn't look angry either. He just patiently waited, expecting more. "There are going to be things I can't tell you, but can you trust me anyway? Can you trust me to use what I know for the better?"

"Ah" Shizuo sighed. "Just live your life, Anni. You don't need my permission. Just don't let yourself sit in the rain until you get a fever again." he said, ruffling her hair as he walked past. Anni grinned and had to jog for a moment to catch up.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	14. Slimed

Another week and change had passed. Thanks to her spending so much money on her laptop, everyone's dinner, and her stay at the hospital, Anni had to work a bit of overtime to satisfy the bills. That's why she was walking home at 11 at night. Shizuo had said he would try to meet up with her and walk her home again, but as he wasn't waiting outside the shop, Anni assumed he was still at work himself or otherwise busy.

She started the trek by herself.

She still had her knife, and didn't feel sick anymore, so she didn't feel particularly worried. In fact she was gleeful. She had missed the quiet night air, and she still hadn't gotten over the joy of finally working everything out with her friends. Even Alex was happy for her, although he said so through sarcastic overtones. So she was almost skipping when a hand shot out of one of the alleyways and yanked her in. She reached for her knife, but her assailant seemed to expect that, even though it was her left hand. He grabbed her wrist and forced her to release her blade, the metal clinking against the ground. Even though he was bruised and bandaged, he didn't have much trouble slamming her against the wall and holding her there by her throat. Anni gasped in shock. Her speed was her only saving grace, and that was useless now.

"So a little birdy told me you're Heiwajima Shizuo's girlfriend, Annibel" he grinned. She really didn't like the way he leered at her.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo was walking quickly. He would only be a few minutes late, but he couldn't really help it. He only hoped she didn't leave without him; he had a really bad feeling about tonight. Disappointment greeted him outside her work. She only got off a little while ago, so if he continued his pace, he would probably catch up with her. He started down the way he knew she always took home, hoping this time at least to catch sight of her.

About halfway to her apartment he heard a little scuffle in one of the side streets. Time wasn't on his side right now, he couldn't get himself into trouble before he made sure she got home safely. He had almost walked past when he heard a voice. It was the tone that caught him. It was absolutely infuriating, arrogant, lewd, and sadistic. "... I won't be paying another yen, and that monster wouldn't dare come near me again. Don't worry though, there will also be good things for you in this deal." Shizuo doubted he'd heard anything at all, but in the pause there a small squeak. "Now MOVE. I wanna get to the fun part" the voice hissed.

Shizuo had had enough. He started stalking towards the voice. All at once he saw Anni stumble out of a small alleyway, her mouth duct-taped and hands held behind her back. Her face was red, and distorted in fear and panic. Tears ran down her cheeks. The slime behind her was banged up, and looked familiar. Hadn't he been one of the difficult clients a few days ago? Shizuo didn't take the time to ponder who he was, all he needed to know was that he was going to kill him. That was, until the slime saw him and ducked behind Anni, grabbing her by the hair and holding what looked like Anni's own knife to her throat. "One more step and she dies" he threatened. A quick jerk of his hand brought Anni's head back and a small whine of pain. Shizuo stopped. He was still too far away. He couldn't cover that distance quickly enough, and with the way the scumbag crouched behind her, he couldn't throw anything either.

"I'll kill-" he started, only to be cut off by Anni's shrill shriek of panic as the scum pressed the blade harder at her throat, breaking the skin. Blood started to trickle from the cut generously, but it didn't look like the wound was too deep. He gritted his teeth. Every cell in his body was screaming for violence.

"Don't test me" the scum hissed. Shizuo was going to murder this bastard seven ways inside out. This slimeball had given up his right to live. **HE MADE ANNI CRY.** He clenched his fists and seethed in silence, awaiting his chance to tear the worthless slime to shreds.

As Shizuo forced himself to stay quiet, the slime smiled. "There's a good monster!" As he spoke, Anni met his eyes. Past all the other emotions swirling there, there was a small glint of something Shizuo couldn't name. He often saw it on the flea's face when he was screwing with him. As soon as he'd seen it, Anni's eyes closed and she went limp, falling backwards onto the slime. "F-Faint-? Stand up you-!" the scumbag panicked as her weight went from his arms to his injured ribs. It was all the opening he needed. The scum realised only too late that Shizuo had moved, and received the full force of his rage in the form of a fist. Anni tumbled back and her knife went skittering off further down the street. The slime himself soared off down the remainder of the street, crossing the next street and making an impact in one of the buildings there. He wouldn't be getting up again any time soon. Shizuo forgot about the scum and quickly bent to help Anni into a sitting position.

The first thing to go was the tape. His name was the only thing she choked out once her mouth was free, then she fell forward to bury her face in the crook of his neck to mutter things in english and sob. Even if his english had been perfect, he wouldn't have been able to make out the hysterical and muffled ramblings. Shizuo didn't know what to say, so he just held her upper arms. She was shaking, and not just from the sobs that wracked her small frame. From here, he could see that her wrists were bound tightly with a zip-tie. He would hurt her before he broke it. Where had her knife landed?

"Stay here a moment" he instructed, pushing her back into a sitting position. Her eyes widened in a moment of panic. "I'll be right back" he soothed reflexively. Anni slowly nodded, too occupied trying to contain herself to speak. She let her head hang limp while she waited, still trembling. Shizuo felt like it took far too long to find the blade. When he finally did, he ran back to the kneeling girl. "Stay still, I don't want to cut your wrists." Blades never had been his strong suit. Somehow he worked the knife under the tie and sliced it without opening her skin as well. As soon as her arms were free, Anni turned and flung them around his neck, returning her face to the crook of his neck. It would be stupid to ask if she was alright, so he tried something else. "Should I take you to see Shinra?" He got his answer in the shake of her head. The poor girl was trying rather hard to get control of her breathing, but failing miserably. There would probably be a lot more complaining if he tried to pry her off than if he carried her, so he pocketed her knife and picked her up, carrying her to his apartment. Something told him it would be best if she wasn't alone.

-!DRRR!-

Anni usually disliked being carried. Now was an exception. She couldn't imagine trying to stumble home on her own feet right now, and was grateful for the chance to concentrate on just getting a hold of herself again. She'd had her mind mostly under her own control for a while. The panic faded quickly once Shizuo had her, but her tight throat and hitched breathing simply would not go away. She gritted her teeth in frustration, which only served to make matters worse. The last thing she wanted was to go back to thinking about what had just happened, so she distracted herself with other things. Anything. The way the light changed as they passed by streetlights. The way her arms ached with how tightly she was clinging to her savior. He probably didn't even notice. It's not like someone of her meager strength could do any harm to him. Had his bullet wounds completely healed yet? She would have to ask later.

Anni sadly wasn't distracted enough to not notice when he started climbing stairs. She hadn't been paying attention to where they were, and was surprised when the stairs seemed to go on and on. Her apartment was only two storeys, why was this taking so long? She only lifted her head when they stopped, and was about to start fishing for her key when he unlocked his door. After taking their shoes off, Anni was deposited on the couch. Once she was seated, Shizuo used a finger to push her chin up, so he could see the scratch her attacker had left on her neck. Anni knew it was shallow, but the stain on Shizuo's shoulder told her it was happy to bleed. "It doesn't hurt anymore" she asserted. It didn't sound very convincing, cracking in the middle because of her stupid disobedient throat. That alone made her want to cry out of frustration.

"Uh-huh" Shizuo said, going to get something from the bathroom. She was left with the impression that he didn't believe her at all. He returned with what remained of the bandages Anni bought and a wet washcloth. He then went about washing away the excess blood and cleaning around the wound, very gently. Excessively so. If Anni didn't know any better, she'd have assumed he was dusting tiny glass sculptures. She was glad she wasn't in a better mood, or she would have laughed at him and his overcompensation. There was no way she was going to break out laughing now, so she closed her eyes and focused on staying still. He eventually seemed satisfied with his work and bandaged the cut. "How's that?"

"Good. Thank you" she managed past the lump in her throat. She reached up to run her fingers over where the cut had been. Shizuo got up and headed to the kitchen.

"Do you want some tea?"

"...Tea?"

"Ya, tea. I tried a bunch of calming teas a while back, but none of them really seemed to help me, so I have leftovers. They might be able to help you though. Want some?" Shizuo explained, pulling tea packets from the back of a cupboard Anni had never investigated while she lived here.

"Yes please" she said, pulling her knees up. Shizuo picked one out and got everything together while Anni enjoyed being in a ball. She couldn't avoid what had almost happened to her for long, and she didn't want her dear friend to see her face as she sorted through it. Even going back to what had happened wasn't pleasant. The thug hadn't hurt her very much physically, but he seemed to think look-don't-touch policies were a myth, especially when it came to the friends of people he didn't like. And the handsy thug had gotten so easily past her defenses. She couldn't even fend off a heavily injured man when she started out with a weapon. Her knife wasn't enough.

"Anni…" Shizuo sat beside her after he set the water to boil. When she didn't respond, he reached over and pulled her so she would fall into his side with his arm around her shoulders. "You're safe here. You can stop hiding." Anni never decided to curl into Shizuo's side, but she did it anyway. She never decided to break down crying, in fact she very much decided against it, but she did it anyway.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	15. Pillow

Anni was slowly drifting back into consciousness. As soon as she was aware enough to realize she was waking up, she tried to dive back into her dreams. Anything was better than what she remembered. She didn't want to face reality just yet. It was interesting though, after the unpleasant encounter last night, she'd slept peacefully. She should have had nightmares again, but they left her alone. Why was that? When her dreams refused to take her again, Anni gave up and let her eyes open a moment.

It was bright, with the sun streaming in the window, so she only got a moment's glance before snapping her eyes shut again. It was a scene she was used to seeing, though she hadn't seen it for a while now. She was on Shizuo's couch again. Something about it was different. Anni still wasn't aware enough to get what it was though. The heavy pull of sleep still hadn't let go of her limbs. She heaved a sleepy sigh, and was surprised when what she had though was a pillow clutched beneath her did the same. She finally remembered the rest of last night. She'd broken down and clung to Shizuo while she cried. He'd been so kind. He never complained or let her go, save for however long it took to finish preparing her tea and getting her to drink it. Then, when she'd cried herself to sleep on top of him, he'd stayed with her. Anni could only assume it was because he knew about her nightmares. Maybe sleeping face down on his chest was what kept them at bay. Either way, Anni was exceedingly comfortable and didn't feel at all like moving, even if she couldn't go back to sleep. The steady sounds of his breathing and heart rate kept her mind from unpleasant things. The arm that had been slung across her back promised to keep her safe. She was more than glad that she had today off of work, so she had no reason to move, except when her phone went off. Anni groaned at the disturbance and quickly fished her phone from her pocket, trying to move as little as possible. "'ello?" she asked quietly. She hadn't even opened her eyes to check who it was.

"You sound absolutely terrible, Little Anni. Did I really wake you up at 11? Since when do you sleep in this long?" her brother laughed at her.

"What do you need?" Anni breathed. She really hoped she wouldn't wake Shizuo, and she didn't want to tell Alex about what happened yet. The quicker she could hang up and go back to her comfort the better.

"I just wanted to bug you and find out what's been going on. I also have something I need to tell you, if you have the time."

"I wanna go back to sleep."

"Fine, call me when you're awake then. Don't forget, or I'll start calling you at 3am again."

"Ya" Anni agreed, hanging up. Her phone stayed in her clutch while she returned her hand to its previous home under Shizuo's shoulder blade.

"How're you feeling?" her pillow asked.

"I'm sorry I woke you" Anni whispered, still unmoving.

"I've been awake for 'bout an hour now, don't worry about it. How are you feeling?" he repeated. Anni took a moment to answer.

"I'm… better than before" she admitted. She was far from being well again, she hadn't dealt with anything, much less the damn informant who'd set her up. Her pillow had decided he was going to get up, so Anni got out of the way while he extracted himself from the couch. He was still wearing the same bloodstained outfit, though his glasses, bowtie, phone and other assorted pocket fillers sat on the coffee table, along with her knife. He stood on the other side of the table, facing away form her with his hands stuffed in his empty pockets.

"Did the scumbag say anything to suggest he had help from someone else?" Shizuo turned his head just in time to see her flinch.

"The first thing he said was that a 'little birdy' had told him I was your girlfriend" Anni said carefully, closing her eyes. As usual, the change was noticeable even without seeing him. He reached down to retrieve his phone then headed for the door.

"I'll be back later. I have to go kill that good-for-nothing flea first" he said as he left. Even if it would screw up the storyline, she still hoped he got his hands around Izaya's neck this time. Left to her own devices, Anni decided to scrub away the feeling of the scumbag's hands then call her brother.

-!DRRR!-

Alex wasn't at all surprised when his phone went off. It had only been an hour since he'd called her. "Awake already?" he chided in greeting.

"I need to talk to you, but you said you had something too, so you should go first" came his sister's soft voice.

"Anni, you still sound absolutely horrid. What happened?"

"We'll get to that. Say your thing first" she ordered. Alex ran his fingers back through his hair. He hadn't been looking forward to this.

"It's about what I arranged the day I left Ikebukuro." He was met with silence. "Still there?"

"I had entirely forgotten about that."

"Remember how you told me not to do anything stupid?"

"You did something REALLY stupid, didn't you?" Anni accused, using something other than that weak, defeated tone for once.

"Ya. I went and made a deal with Izaya-"

" _ALEXANDER!_ " He jerked the phone away from his ear. **Ow.** Anni was crying when he brought the phone back.

"What the hell happened?!" he demanded frantically.

"Tell me what you did. Tell me EXACTLY what you said" Anni demanded in return, near hysterics.

"I traded him spoilers for your safety, now tell me what happened to you!" He was once again left without a response, but this time he could at least hear his sister's labored breaths. "Anni, please."

"It didn't work, Alex" she said, her voice once again weak. What had Izaya done? What in the world could he have arranged to break her down like this?

"What did he do?" he asked slowly, terrified of the answer.

"He found someone who had a grudge against Shizuo. I think it was one of the people he beat up who wouldn't pay. He found this perverted bastard, and told him I was Shizuo's girlfriend, and where I lived. He was going to use me as leverage against Shizuo, and he planned on…" Anni gasped a sob. When she had enough control over herself to speak again, she continued. "If Shizuo hadn't found me…" Alex could only listen in horror and shock.

"I'm coming back out."

"Alex, I'm safe now-"

"I'm going to give that back-stabber a taste of his own medicine" he growled. Even if Izaya's intention was purely to get at Shizuo, he'd gotten Anni hurt, which very directly violated their agreement.

"What did you tell Izaya?" she asked slowly.

"I let him ask a few questions in exchange for leaving us both alone."

"Exactly how many is a few?" Anni accused.

"Three. He asked about his safety, if he was right about Celty being a Valkyrie, and if there were any more universe-hoppers like us."

"And what did you tell him?"

"I told him about **[spoilers from x2]**. I couldn't exactly fully answer his second question, so I told him about the limit of our information instead. For the last one, I told him there shouldn't be any more of us."

"Did you not tell him about the black eye Simon gave him at the end of the yellow scarves arc?" Anni asked once he was done.

"That hardly counts as a threat to his safety. He just got told off in russian and was sent on his way" Alex dismissed.

"It would count to him, you idiot!"

"Damn it" Alex sighed after a minute of consideration. "This is my fault then. If he thought I gave him any false info, he would take it out on you…" They were both quiet for while.

"We're even now" Anni stated simply.

"The prank wars are really over, then" Alex laughed, his head propped up on his hand. "I'm sorry" he said after his laughter faded.

"It's ok."

"Would you like me to come out again?"

"No. I should be ok here on my own" Anni said. Silence fell between them again. "Hey Jamesy-face."

"Ya?"

"I love you, you idiot" she said softly. Alex smiled at that.

"I love you too, Little Anni" he said, hearing her hang up shortly afterwards. Alex didn't move for a while.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo found the flea while on his way to Shinjuku to punch his face in. "Shizu-chan" the informant called, pissing him off even more. "Is that Anni-chan's blood on your precious uniform?"

"Did you send that slime after her?" He wasn't in the mood for banter.

"Do you think I would be wrong to hold up my end of a deal?" the flea asked, avoiding his question.

"That's got nothing to do with this" he growled.

"But it does! I made a deal with her brother you see. We agreed that Anni-chan would stay safe if he gave me some very specific information."

"If you were supposed to make sure she was safe, why did you send that slime after her?" he demanded, losing his patience. Izaya wasn't making any sense.

"I didn't send anyone after her. Someone approached me asking for information on her, so I did my job" the flea explained. "Besides, the information Alexander gave me fell through. There was no more reason for me to protect her" he continued, his tone darkening. "I don't like being played for a fool."

"So you targeted her for revenge?" Shizuo snarled, losing his temper. He freed a nearby street sign from the ground and charged.

"Surely that shouldn't surprise you." Izaya dodged with ease. The flea led him on another chase, finding his safety outside Russia Sushi where Simon stopped their fight. The flea got away again.

Shizuo stalked back towards home, frustrated. He opened his apartment to find Anni sitting stiffly on the edge of the couch, with an expression that mirrored his own. She was glaring down at her knife, which hadn't moved from where he left it when he emptied his pockets last night. The little blonde spared him a glance before returning to staring down the blade.

"I'm sick of being weak" she stated, the emotions on her face seeping into her voice. He could tell she had more to say, so he took off his shoes and sat beside her without comment. "I'm tired of being such a wimp that someone who's still recovering from a fight with YOU can disarm me and throw me around without a care in the world. I'm tired of needing to rely on everyone else to protect me. I want to get stronger." Anni turned to meet his eyes. "I want to be strong enough to protect myself. Can you help me?" she asked, her expression set and determined. She looked ready to take on an army to get what she wanted, when just a few hours ago she'd been depending entirely on him to save her from the horrors in her own head. Now that was a turn around he could respect.

"I probably wouldn't be able to help you very much myself, but I know somewhere you can train" he replied. Anni's face lit up.

"Thank you" she breathed.

 **-A/N-**

 **I'm so sorry I had to crack the fourth wall like that. While I can assume everyone who reads this has seen all of the first season or is willing to deal with spoilers, I can't assume everyone has seen second season. If you have, you know approximately what would be mentioned. I promise to issue a warning the chapter before I start in with the story line of X2 Sho, but that's still a while off. I'm doing my best to keep this all as canon as possible.**

 **On another note, thank you for getting this far! It means a lot to me that people are willing to tolerate this much of my little abomination. If there's anything you think I do terribly, or plot holes you would like to point out, or something about the characters that bugs you, please feel free to leave a review or contact me. I always appreciate the feedback.  
**

 **Anyway, if you're enjoying, keep on!**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	16. Sleepless

Sleep that night was unbearable. Anni was pulled into consciousness three times by her own yelps and screams before she gave up and decided to forego sleep for the rest of the night. She knew she was going to need all the energy she could get for the training that would start after work tomorrow, but she couldn't bear to let the terrors in her head run free anymore. She might be able to convince Shizuo to be her pillow again and scare the nightmares away, but she was too proud to ask unless absolutely necessary. So Anni spent her night switching between her laptop and doing more sketches. Hours passed slowly in the lonely darkness.

Maya seemed to be more cheerful and energetic at work that day, as if she wanted to rub off on the somber and tired blonde. It only served to irritate Anni, but she kept herself from snapping at her friend as best she could. Maya had no way of knowing what had happened two days ago, and Anni didn't feel like sharing the misery.

Anni got off work earlier than usual, as she'd rearranged her schedule to fit in training time. She stopped for food before heading to the dojo Shizuo had taken her to check out the day before. Sharaki Eijirou Rakuei dojo, owned by Traugott Geissendirfer. It was a self-defense gym. The very same gym Orihara Mauri regularly attended. Anni had done her research. It was a nice place too. It was a place she didn't mind working her heart and soul out doing simple movements. She would need to get the basics right if she was going to be able to build upon it, after all. So she was sweaty, exhausted and sore when she walked out the door, but she felt amazing. It was one step closer to being able to protect herself. One step closer to being able to break arms instead of being disarmed and controlled.

The walk home felt much longer and harder than Anni knew it was, her loss of sleep compounding with the long day, but she made it. She went right to bed, falling asleep in seconds. Then she was awake again, giving her vocal chords their workout. She didn't get much sleep that night either.

-!DRRR!-

Celty was happy to stop and talk when Shizuo called her over. She'd just finished a delivery for Izaya and was heading back home to Shinra, but she hadn't spoken to her friend for a while now. He ranted for a bit about the flea messing with his life again, and told her about what Izaya had done to Anni. He then went on about how he was worried she was taking on her new training without sleep, as he hadn't seen or heard from her since he'd shown her the dojo a few days ago. Celty did her best to calm him from his pacing, and succeeded only when she promised to keep her eye out for the little blonde when she was free. It was because of this promise that Celty waited around the corner from the dojo he'd described. She didn't have to wait long before Anni stumbled into sight, with dark circles under her eyes.

"Hello Celty! What brings you here?" Anni greeted cheerily as she spotted the transporter.

"Would you like a ride home? No offense, but you look like you're about to collapse" Celty typed out quickly. Anni somehow managed a light laugh.

"Did Shizuo send you to check on me again?" she asked with a small smile.

"No, he just said he was worried about you. He was right to assume you haven't gotten much sleep lately, by the look in your eyes."

"I… No, I haven't." Anni sighed. She seemed to ponder something for a moment, dropping the happy act. "Could you give me a ride to Shizuo's apartment instead?" Celty nodded and produced an eared helmet for the blonde to wear.

-!DRRR!-

After being dropped off and trading contact information with her favorite fairy, Anni waited for as long as she could, which turned out to not be very long at all. Turning on the TV would put her to sleep almost instantly, so Anni opted for trying to read a book she found. A few pages in, when she had to reread a passage for the sixth time, she gave in and fell asleep on the couch.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo got home from work late to find the very person he'd been worrying about unconscious on his couch again. She was curled cutely around one of his books. He carefully traded the book for the blanket that had been reserved for her while she'd lived on that couch. He was happy to see she was sleeping peacefully, though the bags that were still under her eyes told him just how much precious sleep she'd missed over the three days since he'd last seen her. Because she was curled up, there was plenty of space left by her feet for Shizuo to sit and flick the TV on. He learned months ago that the noise from the TV wouldn't wake her. If anything it made her sleep more soundly. He stayed there for a while, hoping that he was helping to keep her dreams peaceful. He found out that he was wrong when Anni started twitching. It was after a more powerful jerk made her kick his side that he decided it would be best to wake her.

"Hey, Anni" he called, holding her ankle so she couldn't repeat the abuse. "'Morning" he said as she tried to bury her heel into him again. When he didn't let her leg move, she came alive all at once, lunging forward to grab his wrist with both hands. Once she'd accomplished that much, Anni sat and stared at his arm with eyes glazed over. A few blinks seemed to clear her vision, so she could follow the arm in her grip up to meet his eyes.

"Mornin'" she said sheepishly, releasing his wrist. He in turn let go of her ankle and let out a breath. He certainly didn't need her trying to beat him up in her sleep.

"How're you?" he asked as Anni sat up properly, wrapping the blanket back around herself.

"Not well" she admitted, her eyes wandering listlessly to the TV. "I haven't slept much at all in a few days. Me and my stupid vivid dreams…" she trailed off letting her eyes close. She was just barely conscious. He wasn't surprised when Anni fell to the side, landing propped up against his shoulder. Shizuo sighed. If it worked a few nights ago, it should work now. That was probably the reason she'd come here to begin with. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and held her so he could stretch out along the couch. The barely awake Anni provided little help. While he managed to get comfortable on his back, she snuggled into his chest. One final, relaxing sigh from the little blonde told him she was really asleep. Shizuo grabbed the remote from the coffee table and flicked the TV off. He would be sleeping like this again tonight, but he didn't mind it much. He enjoyed her company.

-!DRRR!-

Anni woke up alone, but she woke up peacefully. It wasn't the nightmares which woke her, but her own mind drifting gently back to reality. She wanted to cry out in joy, up until she looked at the time. She'd slept through her alarm. Not only had she missed her shift at work entirely, but her training session was nearly over. Anni groaned and fell back into Shizuo's couch, pulling the blanket over her head. Oh well. It was sleep she desperately needed, and it's not like she would have been at all productive today without it.

Anni grabbed her phone again and called her boss. She was thankfully let off for missing today, but she would be working more the day after tomorrow to make up for it, as tomorrow was her day off. Two days of missed training her first week didn't sound good, but Anni would have to deal. She got up and put the blanket away before heading home to change and eat. She would be coming back later, if only so she could actually have a conversation with Shizuo. Sleepiness had robbed her of most of her memories surrounding the night before, but she was aware that she'd said few words to him before passing out. He deserved more than those few words for sticking around and taking care of her yet again. Once Anni had taken care of everything she wanted to at her apartment, she grabbed her laptop and drawing pad and headed back to Shizuo's to wait for him to get home. She would hopefully be able to get some short naps in as well.

It was during one of her naps that Shizuo arrived. Anni opened her eyes to find him standing over her with his hand on her shoulder. "Mornin'" Anni greeted with a toothy grin, starting a couch-wide stretch. Her sketchbook and pencil fell off her belly, but she didn't care. They would survive.

"Feeling better?" Shizuo asked, taking up the space her feet vacated as she leaned down to retrieve her art supplies.

"Much. Thank you" she said, folding her legs under her as she put the sketchbook on the coffee table. "How are you doing?" she asked, earning a smile in response.

"I'm well enough. My little brother is coming to Ikebukuro tomorrow for work, and I'm looking forward to seeing him again" he explained, stretching his legs out and relaxing.

"Oh, it's tomorrow that Hanejima-san is filming here then?" Anni mused, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. That would be a very eventful day. Anni was glad she didn't have to ask Maya to cover for her tomorrow, because there was no way she was going to miss that action. She should still be able to attend her usual training, because the Orihara twins were regulars at the her dojo, and they were still present at the filming to bug Shizuo. Maybe if she rewatched the episode tonight she could catch exactly what time everything happened. Losing herself in her plans let her miss Shizuo's surprise at her recognition.

"Y'know about Kasuka too then?" he asked.

"A little bit" Anni replied, before realising her slip up. " _Oh holy hell_ we haven't talked about your brother at all, have we?"

"No, we haven't. Do you know 'bout him through the 'Durarara' thing as well?" It was Anni's turn to be surprised.

"What? How would you… Did Maya tell you about that?"

"Sorta. After you left Russia Sushi in a huff over it, I asked her what it was" Shizuo explained, turning his attention to the sketch pad on the table. It displayed an unfinished outline of four people, two of which were recognizable as Anni and Alex. The other two figures didn't have much detail yet, but they both had long hair that was kept up in ponytails. "You're really not from around here, are you?"

"I… no, not at all, but I can't…" Anni muttered, pulling her knees up. A different country, a different continent, a different reality. In no way did her home fit with 'around here'. Shizuo surprised her again by messing up her hair. "Hey, what-"

"Don't worry too much. I know you can't really talk about it" he reassured with a warm smile. Anni smiled back at him and batted his hand off her head.

"I'll be 22 this march, you don't need to treat me like a kid" she argued half-heartedly. Shizuo only laughed at her and turned the TV on. They were able to hang out like this for a while, up until Shizuo insisted on walking her home again. Anni was getting the impression she wouldn't be trusted to be alone in the dark ever again. She didn't mind it too much though. There were good reasons behind it, and she enjoyed his company.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	17. Hanejima Yuuhei!

Anni left the dojo running. She was tired already, even if the nightmares had only gotten her once last night. Today was one of her favorite days, and she would be damned if she missed a minute. The Orihara twins hadn't shown up to the dojo at all, so Anni was certain she was late to the party already. As she expected, she passed said twins on her way to the filming location, dangling by their hoods from the corner of a truck. "How's it hangin'?" Anni asked as she skipped by.

"Anni-san! Help us down! We can't get to Yuuhei-san like this!" Mauri demanded.

"I can't, I'm sorry. I have places to be!" Anni said without a hint of remorse. At the very least it would irritate Shizuo if she let them roam free. Izaya was going to ruin his day anyway, and Anni didn't plan on vexing him any more than absolutely necessary.

"Mean...(Anni-san is being cruel)" Kururi accused as softly as ever.

"Pay me back later!" Anni suggested as she continued at a jog down the street. She found the large crowd in front of the cinema and wormed her way through. There was no KFC sign lying around, and people were chatting normally, so she hadn't missed anything just yet. She couldn't help but grin as she caught sight of Kasuka interviewing Anri and Mikado. Simon stood a bit farther back in the crowd, chanting his advertisement.

"Hanejima Yuuhei!" someone behind her yelled, drawing everyone's attention. **I'm just in time** Anni celebrated to herself as she turned to face him in sync with the crowd. "Give me back my girlfriend!" the delinquent shouted. The crowd was taken up in a small panic of chatter. Anni couldn't keep the smile off her face, so she settled for a small smirk. He was digging his own grave. "Drop dead!" he cried out as he charged. Anni didn't have time to see everyone's reactions, but there was no way to miss the most important one. The sign plowed down Kasuka's assailant, managing to hit no one else as it threaded perfectly through the crowd and directly over her head. Shizuo's precision was just as amazing as she remembered. There can be no room for error when his little brother is involved.

She didn't need to check behind herself to know when Shizuo disappeared, Kasuka's expression was enough. However much she wanted to see the forte of Ikebukuro snatching knives out of the air with his teeth, she couldn't go watch the start of his fight with Izaya. She would be too much of a distraction for both of them, so she would have to settle for hanging around near Mikado and Anri for a while. She stayed with the group, keeping out of the camera's view as best she could. Then came the smashing sounds. A grin of excitement took over her face as she watched Izaya spinning around the poles that embedded themselves in the side of the building. She nearly burst out laughing as the flea and Shizuo bounced off Simon's back, who could only hold his head and call after them. Her poorly stifled giggle got her a few odd looks from those around her, including Kasuka. Anni shut up quickly and went red. She reflexively bowed and backed away, blending back into the mob. Attention was the last thing she needed.

Anni stayed in the back until Celty and the gangs showed up. It wasn't hard to hide in that little group as Simon kidnaped the cameraman, or as Shizuo and Izaya arrived. The chaotic skirmish that followed their entrance left street signs peppered throughout the crowd, and everyone in view shocked into silence. Not even the three groups who'd shown up specifically to fight Shizuo moved a muscle. Anni watched in enraptured silence. Izaya chuckled at how tired his opponent already was and turned to run, continuing the chase. Anni stayed with Celty and the Raira duo as they disappeared from sight. She headed over only once they'd heard the blaring horn and following smash. She didn't particularly want to see the way Shizuo flew helplessly after he was hit. It was bad enough that she couldn't stop it, she didn't want to see him hurt like that in person. The mob rushed as one to see what had happened, the little blonde following obediently. What the group found was Shizuo's still legs sticking out from under the large truck, as its driver scampered away. Anni stood out front with Mikado and Anri as the murmurs of doubt started.

"Is he dead?" a voice asked.

"Anyone would be after that" one of the yellow scarves replied.

"Heiwajima Shizuo isn't just 'anyone'" Anni corrected confidently, not taking her eyes from her friend's motionless feet. Everyone seemed to take notice of her at once, falling quiet. Izaya sauntered up to the truck's victim. Even if she couldn't make out the words from where she stood, Anni knew exactly what he was saying.

"Falling for the same trick you did in high school… You haven't matured at all, Shizu-chan" the flea observed. Then the truck started moving.

"Who" Shizuo started slowly, lifting the back end of the truck above his head, "hasn't matured?!" The entire vehicle went flying behind him, landing with a resounding crash. Everyone recoiled from the impact but the informant and bodyguard. "Izaya!" he challenged, stalking up to his enemy.

"Is that what you call maturing?" Izaya taunted.

"Shut up!" Shizuo shouted, throwing a few punches that missed their retreating target. When he couldn't land a hit in melee, he stopped to rip a streetlight from the concrete. When the streetlight missed as well, sending everyone scrambling, Izaya took off to lead yet another chase, Shizuo following quickly on his tail. The brawl that broke out in their aftermath forced Anni to retreat to the sidewalk, which she knew was safe from this bit. She waited there calmly until Celty had had enough, and used her shadows to forcibly end the fight. While watching them all flounder about amused her, Anni didn't stay any longer. This party was over. It would be getting dark in a little bit anyway, and there was something she wanted to do before night fell.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo was absolutely exhausted and furious by the time he got home. His back still hurt where the truck had slammed into him, and he hadn't held back at all in chasing that damned flea across his city and back. He turned on the light, and was almost disappointed to find his apartment was empty. There was something on the coffee table, however. After stepping out of his shoes, he walked up for a closer look. It was actually two somethings. A small chocolate cake sat next to a paper, folded to stand upright. "To better days" it proclaimed in colored block letters. **Of course she would.**

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	18. Secrets

"I can't believe you met Hanejima Yuuhei in person and didn't bring me!" Maya complained, pouting.

"I told you, it wasn't the safest event, and as it was I almost missed it entirely. I couldn't have gotten you there in time" Anni explained in frustration, taking a bite of curry. She was reconsidering her decision to let Maya accompany her for her lunch break.

"So was he as handsome in person as he is on screen?" the excited girl continued.

"Even more so. But it's not like he's the most handsome in town" Anni said smugly.

"Oh really? Who do you think that title goes to then?" Maya pressed, ignoring her food in favor of answers.

"Take a wild guess."

"Hmmmm…" she considered, an evil grin slowly taking over her features. "Maaayybeeee… Izaya-san?" Maya drew out. Anni started choking on her rice while her friend laughed.

"How many times do I have to tell you to drop it? I hate him! I hate him to no end! Leave Izaya out of it!" Anni demanded before chugging down her water. Maya took the chance to actually eat some of the food she'd ordered. "Try again" the little blonde ordered as she put her glass back down.

"Do I have to be serious this time?"

"I don't care, so long as you leave the psycho out of it" Anni grumbled.

"Which one?" Maya asked between bites.

"What do you mean 'which one'? The obnoxious pest with a god-complex. What other psycho's are there?"

"The bottle-blond with temper issues, the little girl with too many secrets…"

"Oh come on…" Anni sighed, finishing her cury. "Lunch break's over in a few minutes, we need to head back."

"Coming" Maya sang, stuffing a bit more food in her face. The pair paid for their meal and headed back to the shop. Anni spotted Shizuo walking with Tom along the way and made sure to catch his eye and wave. "Now that you mention it…" Maya muttered as they both waved back and went on their way, "he's not half bad."

"What's that now?"

"Your scary friend is actually kinda handsome" Maya admitted.

"You're only just now noticing?" Anni laughed.

"Hey, it's not like he does much to advertise it with those glasses" she defended.

"Are you kidding? Have you ever seen him fight? It's almost purely advertisement!" Anni joked as they entered the shop, heading towards the back to get changed into uniform.

"No, I haven't really, because like every other sane human being, I try to stay AWAY when he gets mad. Seriously Anni, you have problems."

"Well, I've managed to hang around him this long, and I'm still perfectly fine. In fact, with how much he's saved my sorry ass, I'm better off for it" she explained, changing into her uniform top. With how accustomed she was to changing around her female coworker, Maya got a good view of the knot of bone still left from when she'd pulled a knife on the strongman months ago.

"I see" Maya said softly, giving it a moment to sink in before adding "So how's your clavicle?" Anni froze in surprise for a moment before roughly pulling her top straight and growling at her friend.

"Shut up."

-!DRRR!-

It didn't escape Maya's notice how Anni glowered at her for half of the remaining shift. The poor girl was delusional if she couldn't see Maya was trying to help her see reason. But Anni was also rather stubborn and prideful, so it would be hard to convince her she was wrong, and harder to get her to admit it. Maya would have to press the matter for quite awhile to get it through her head.

She'd managed to change and get out of the shop before the blonde, so she hung out by the door and waited. When Anni finally emerged, she was on her phone.

"... I'll just hang out here for a little bit… Ya, I'll see you soon" she said before snapping her phone shut and pocketing it. "Yo, I didn't think you'd wait for me."

"Was that your boyfriend?" Maya taunted. She just couldn't help herself. Instead of getting mad again, Anni sighed.

"No, that was my 'scary friend', as you seem to think of him. We're going to get some food before he walks me home" she explained.

"Really? That kinda sounds like something a boyfriend would do" Maya observed.

"Maybe" Anni rolled her eyes. "Though it's mostly habit by now. After being targeted multiple times it doesn't make sense to walk around alone at night anyway."

"Wait, what? You've been targeted?" Maya demanded in disbelief.

"Ya. Just about a week ago some creep with a grudge against Shizuo got ahold of my home address, and hung around in an alley to wait for me" Anni explained coolly, much to Maya's horror.

"Are you ok? What happened?" she demanded, grabbing the blonde's hands.

"I'm not really ok yet, but I will be eventually. Shizuo showed up in time to knock the pervert into next month, so there was no real damage" Anni said smoothly, if softly. Maya's reaction was to pull her friend into a hug.

"Anniii" she whined quietly. "You never tell me anything important."

"I'm telling you now aren't I?" she said, her voice numb. Neither of them moved for a minute. Anni didn't return the hug, and Maya refused to let go.

"That's why you're not afraid of him, isn't it?" Maya observed. Anni muttered something under breath which Maya could barely make out as counting. "What?"

"Five" was her final answer. "Five times now that he's saved my sorry ass or taken care of me when I needed him. How could I fear him? He's most of the reason I've survived here this long" Anni explained. Maya released her and took a step back.

"I had no idea" she said sadly.

"That's because I'm too stupid and too stubborn to tell you the things that matter" Anni said, matching her friend's tone. "I'm sorry." Maya slapped her hands to her cheeks suddenly and made a show of being flabbergasted. "What?!" Anni fell a step back in surprise.

"The great and proud Annibel Hael actually apologized!" she announced as dramatically as she could.

"Maya! I got you to be serious for two solid minutes! It's a miracle!" the blonde chimed in return, mimicking the face slap.

"What're you two on about now?" Shizuo asked as he strolled up with a cigarette between his lips. Maya didn't quite know how to react to him anymore, so she grabbed Anni's arm.

"What are you-" the blonde asked as she was pushed towards the newest arrival. She stumbled along the way, and Shizuo needed to catch her, but that served Maya just fine.

"Take good care of her, she's terrible at taking care of herself" she pointed at the confused and now irritated bodyguard before turning on heel and storming off.

-!DRRR!-

"Ah, I can't wait to get home and slip into a food coma…" the contented girl walking beside him sighed.

"Maybe you'll stay asleep too" Shizuo added.

"It hasn't been that bad for the past two days. I've only been waking up once per night" Anni offered sheepishly, knowing that wasn't good enough. Before he could say anything, she started off on something else. "So how's your back?"

"What about it?" It was still incredibly sore, but it didn't restrict his movement at all, so he didn't care.

"Shizuo, you were mowed down by a several ton truck yesterday. I know you're nearly indestructible, but you're still human!" Anni ranted, making him stop.

"What was that?" he asked once she'd realized they weren't going to be walking anymore.

"I said you're still human" she asserted, looking at him like he was crazy. "Has your infamy gone to your head?"

"Maybe" he replied, starting to walk again. He couldn't remember the last time someone other than Anni worried about his safety, or had called him human. He'd gotten so used to people calling him a monster, or a beast, and being terrified of him.

"Don't let it" she ordered, matching his pace again.

"Sure" he agreed. They walked quietly for a little while, but neither of them cared anymore. They didn't need to fill the silence to be comfortable. "Oh, and thanks for the cake. It really helped" Shizuo remembered once her complex drifted into sight.

"Anytime" Anni said with a smile as they started climbing the stairs to her apartment. "I couldn't leave you to have a horrible day on your own-"

"-Or you couldn't live with yourself, right?" he finished.

"Exactly" Anni laughed as she stopped in front of her door to unlock it. As it started to swing open, Shizuo turned to leave, but Anni's hand on his arm stopped him. What did she want this time? He got his answer as she pulled him to face her and stood on her toes to reach around his neck. Shizuo quickly wrapped his arms around her back to keep her from running away immediately. "Thank you for walking with me again" she confided.

"Don't mention it. Sleep well" he ordered, releasing her so she could dance backwards to her doorway.

"I'll do my best. See you tomorrow" Anni bid, disappearing with a spin behind her closed door.

-!DRRR!-

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Anni chirped as she rushed to hop onto the barstool next to Shizuo.

"Ah, look who finally made it" Tom observed, giving her an endearing smile.

"It's good to see you again, Tom-san!" she greeted. Shizuo chose to ruffle her hair in place of a formal greeting. Both of the males already had food in front of them, so when Dennis came by she ordered something small. Anni had found very quickly that having a large meal before her training was a bad idea, and she preferred larger dinners anyway.

"So what kept you?" Shizuo asked.

"Maya needed to talk to me for a bit, that's all" she explained. "So how has today been going?"

"We've got a long list today" Tom answered. "I'll probably be keeping Shizuo with me until late" he apologized, patting his coworkers shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll be too busy to need him today anyway" Anni joked, resting her hand on his other shoulder.

"Huh?" the blond in question asked.

"It should still be light out when I finish my workout today, and after that I'll be kidnapping Maya and holding her hostage in my apartment for the night" she explained, her tone unwavering.

"Kidnapping?" Tom laughed. "You don't seem the type."

"Weeeell, it won't really be kidnapping, since she already agreed to it…" she admitted.

"Anni…" Shizuo chastised, earning a playful giggle. Anni's food finally arrived, so she happily dug in. "How'd you sleep last night?"

"Ah, well enough. I technically got enough sleep, even if it was a little broken up…" Anni explained with hesitation.

"Broken up?" Tom asked.

"I've been having nightmares lately, it's nothing to worry too much about though-" She was cut off by Shizuo's unhappy growl.

"I've had worse" Anni defended.

"I still don't like it" he grumbled. Tom took his opportunity to jump in and steer the conversation in a better direction.

"Have you ever tried lucid dreaming?"

"No, but I've heard of it. It's where you take control of your dreams, right?" Anni asked.

"Right. I've heard you can use it to change your bad dreams-" Tom started.

"Really? Do you know how to do it?" Anni asked excitedly, leaning forward to look around Shizuo.

"Ah, not really, I've never done it myself." Tom admitted. Anni's face fell. "But from what I've heard, the main point is to realize you're dreaming. Once you do that…"

"I see" she said, sullenly going back to her food.

"Is there a problem?" Tom asked.

"It's just that I've always had really detailed, vivid dreams. I can never tell if I'm dreaming or not" she explained.

"If your nightmares are that bad, you know you can always-" Shizuo started.

"I know" she interrupted quickly, turning a little red. "But I also want to be able to deal with them myself." Conversation died off as they turned back to their lunch.

-!DRRR!-

Anni leaned her head back against the wall. She was tired. Her sore legs demanded she sit, but it would be counterproductive to what she ultimately wanted. Even though staying on her feet wouldn't do much, it was a small step. She would have plenty of time to sit around and talk to Maya tonight anyway. The girl in question stepped out of the manga shop and looked around a moment before noticing Anni. A stuffed shoulder bag hung across her body.

"You ready to spill all of those tasty secrets?" she asked with an evil smirk.

"We'll see" Anni sighed. She started leading the way back to her apartment.

"I hope you're ready to face work tomorrow sleepy, because I'm not letting you rest until you tell me everything I want to know!" Maya proclaimed.

"I wasn't planning on sleeping anyway. I don't feel like torturing you" Anni countered.

"What do you mean?" Maya asked, her tone incredulous.

"Nothing much, don't worry about it" Anni waved her off.

"Oh come on, you promised you wouldn't just blow me off today!"

"So you want me to spill my guts in public? Don't be mean!" the blonde accused emphatically, holding her arms over her abdomen as if to keep her secrets safe. Her friend just huffed at her.

"What do you have planned to feed me?"

It wasn't after they'd gotten comfortable in Anni's living room and eaten her sub-par dinner that Maya started digging into her with questions.

"Why is it you put up with me?" she asked pensively.

"Is that really where you're going to start this interrogation?" Anni laughed.

"Yes, it is. We have plenty of time to get to the juicy topics." This time her malicious grin made Anni hesitant. At least this was going to start out easy.

"Even if I don't enjoy being abused and taunted and teased and tormented-"

"Get to the point."

"-I actually enjoy having you around. You're technically good for me. You keep me humble." Anni's explanation was cut short by Maya's exaggerated snort of laughter.

"You? Humble?"

"Imagine how bad I would be without you and Alex" the blonde joked.

"Oh god, the world might just crumble under the weight of your ego."

"My turn. Why do you put up with me if I'm so bad?" Anni pressed.

"Because I like messing with you. And… you're one of the few people who puts up with all my bullshit. I don't have to worry about what I say or chasing you off."

"You're so sweet. And here I thought you were going to say something nice about me…"

"Shut up you dipstick, I did say something nice. You're tolerant, and accepting of other people, despite being a proud, self-absorbed twerp."

"Thank you" Anni said, pulling her shoulders back and planting her hands on her hips to play the role of proud twerp. Maya laughed and swatted her knee.

"Now, tell me about Durarara" Maya ordered, reaching over and snatching up Anni's sketchbook.

"You really still remember the name?" Anni sighed. She was worried about this bit.

"Of course, I couldn't use it against you otherwise. What happened to the other sketch pad?" Maya asked as she flipped through the few pages Anni had filled.

"It got drenched" she answered simply. Taking a breath, Anni started talking. "Durarara is the name of a light novel, which was turned into a manga and an anime. I didn't make it up."

"Never heard of it. I tried to look it up too."

"That's because it's not from this universe" Anni said slowly.

"... So how would you know about it?" Maya asked seriously. Her host eyed her suspiciously.

"You believe me?"

"I love fantasy just as much as you do. And, honestly, it explains a lot" Maya explained earnestly.

"Well" Anni tugged for a moment on a bit of hair. She hadn't expected to get past that. "I know about it because I'm from that same universe."

"Seriously?" Maya asked incredulously. Anni nodded in return.

"Do you know anything about the multiverse theory?"

"Oh? That? It says that there are an infinite number of alternate realities, right?"

Anni nodded. "And because there are infinite different possibilities, every conceivable reality is possible. Because it's possible, it technically exists. There's only a problem of getting there. That includes the made up ones, like Durarara"she expanded.

"So this is all just a manga?"

"No, actually this world is more like the anime, but that's not the point. This is very real, I just come from a place where there's a pre-written history book especially about what goes on here, more or less."

"So how did you get here? I mean, travelling between realities can't be easy" Maya observed.

"It's not. There's no way I can tell you how we did it and live, but my brother and I found a way to connect the two universes. We created a link. Alex and I can go back and forth freely now."

"... Just the two of you?" Maya seemed disappointed. Anni nodded sadly.

"Just us. Our home rejects anything, and anyone, from this universe. It's a one-way street that way." Maya seemed to ponder that for a moment.

"Tell me about Durarara then, if it's exactly like this reality."

"For safety reasons I can't tell you much…" Anni took her sketchbook and flipped to a drawing she'd done a few days ago. The cast from season one lined up across the page. No other writing or embellishments distracted from the characters.

"What's unsafe about telling me?" Maya's tone lacked her usual teasing lilt as she examined the lineup.

"If knowing about what will happen causes you to say or do something, it could negatively impact the way things play out. I've been trying to keep my nose out of the events that guide the story, so it still follows the path I know about. If the events don't go down that road, what I know will be useless, and I won't have any way of fixing it. Everything could turn out terribly wrong because of me, and end badly, even if i try and make it better."

"You're more of a danger than I am then. You spend a lot of time around one of the people in the plot" Maya observed, pointing out Anni's rendering of Shizuo.

"And it constantly terrifies me" she confided. "But I haven't changed any of the major events so far…"

"Maybe this reality isn't so easily changed then" Maya theorized.

"What do you mean?"

"If you've lived here so long while being so close to one of the people who directly influences the story, maybe this universe compensates to stay how it should be. I don't think the butterfly effect applies in this situation" Maya suggested. Anni quietly though it over.

"Maybe. I don't want to test that though."

"You don't have to." Silence fell over the pair. Both of them were too caught up in their own thoughts to speak. Maya slowly started flipping through the few covered pages. Only two were related to Durarara. "So this is your great secret" she mused.

"Yup. I'm an alien from another universe who knows the future. And you had to go and trust me enough to believe me" Anni sighed, falling back and folding her hands behind her head.

"Only because you trusted me enough to tell me, finally" Maya laughed softly. "Hey, Anni" she said after a moment.

"Ya?"

"Thank you."

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	19. Revelation

Maya spent the night in Anni's little apartment as planned, and didn't let a moment go to waste. She finally got Anni to reveal all of her omissions up until that point, about Izaya, and what happened just after she arrived in Ikebukuro. Even under threat of more teasing, the little blonde told her coworker about how dependant on Shizuo she'd become, and the aftermath of the slime attack. It turned out better than she though. Maya was actually mature about it, for the most part. Maya was beyond gleeful with the whole arrangement, partly because she had the following day off. Anni, however, did have both work and her daily training to attend the following morning, neither of which she would be skipping. She wasn't looking forward to trying to sleep that night either, knowing the nightmares wouldn't leave her alone no matter how tired she was. The offer of comfortable, terror-free sleep was getting harder and harder to ignore. Anni had just gotten out of the dojo, and was considering whether to pack a change of clothes and head over to Shizuo's apartment when she was interrupted.

"How's your training going?" Shizuo asked from his place just around the corner, making her jump. A lit cigarette hung from his mouth.

"It's going great" Anni answered once she'd recognized him. "It still leaves me sore and exhausted, but I'm getting better."

"It looks like it's not just training that's wearing on you" he observed calmly.

"Maya kept me up all last nice to watch movies and pester me with questions. At least it was pleasant" she shrugged.

"Anni, haven't you lost enough sleep as it is?" Shizuo sighed, putting out his cigarette.

"I've lost more than enough" she admitted, yawning behind her hand. The little blonde was startled out of her pause by her friend's hand resting on top of her head. She met his eyes with slight confusion.

"You still have your key, right?"

"Of course. Why…" she started, only to realise a second later why he would bring it up. "Fine. I'll come by tonight" she relented. Shizuo smirked victoriously and turned away, taking his hand with him. Anni's head felt unreasonably cold in the absence of her new favorite hat. "And where are you headed?"

"My break's about over, I'm heading back to meet Tom-san. See ya later."

"Later" Anni said, waving at his retreating back.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo was relieved to find his couch already occupied when he arrived home. The little blonde had a laptop balanced on her knees and headphones plugged in, which is probably why she didn't respond to his entrance. Because her back was to him, he could see she was watching some anime or other. A girl with a pink cat-like tail was standing on a rooftop. Anni finally noticed him as he leaned in to watch over her shoulder. She jumped and nearly knocked her laptop off the couch.

" _Holy freaking hell!_ " she said as she tore her headphones off. "Don't sneak up on me!"

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. What are you watching?"

"Noragami" she replied, pausing it. "The second season is coming out soon, so I was rewatching the first as a refresher." The laptop was closed and left on the table beside her headphones.

"Do you plan on staying the night?" Shizuo asked, taking note of the bag that sat beside the couch.

"I… ya, if that's-" her cheeks colored a bit as she hooked her hair back behind one ear.

"Anni, I've never had any problem with you staying here. Besides, it's nice having someone else around." He settled in on the couch beside her, putting his feet up on the table. "It's not so lonely that way."

"Shizuo!" Anni lectured, warping her arms around his chest. "You're not allowed to be lonely. You have to call me instead. That's an order."

"And you're not allowed to have nightmares anymore" he asserted, letting one arm curl across her back and shoulders. It was impossible to miss the way she stiffened.

"I might as well move back in at that point. I'd be spending all my time here anyway" Anni said as she pulled away.

"Why not?" he suggested. Anni's eyes widened for a moment.

"I have nothing against this wonderful couch, but I do enjoy having my own bed."

"You could stay in my room then" he continued, throwing his arms across the back of the couch. Anni glared at him.

"I've told you before, I refuse to take your room from you, Shizuo."

"Wouldn't have to. I could easily get another futon for you…" he mused. Anni, meanwhile, was panicking. The idea of moving back in sounded wonderful, especially with the possibility of never having another nightmare, but something about it terrified her. She couldn't say what it was either, which only made her more anxious.

"Maybe." She would have to figure out what made her so antsy about the idea before she said anything definitive. "I'll have to sleep on your offer. Cutting my rent in half would be nice though…" she said as she stood. Grabbing her bag, she made her way to the bathroom to change into her pajamas. By the time she came back out, Shizuo was sprawled across the couch in sweatpants and a thin shirt with his eyes closed, and his hands folded behind his head. Anni's blanket sat folded on the table. "Long day?" she asked as she put her bag down and unfolded her blanket.

"I'm not the one who's losing too much sleep" he observed. Anni's face grew a bit hot, making her glad Shizuo didn't open his eyes.

"If you're not tired-"

"Lie down" he ordered.

"Yes sir" she said reflexively, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders and climbing into her place on top of him. He laughed at her reaction as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"I thought you weren't afraid of me" he teased, resting his hands on her back.

"I'm not" she defended weakly. It was bad enough she had to depend on him just to get a full night's sleep, now he was going to tease her?

"Just go to sleep" he soothed. He freed one hand to smooth down her hair, brushing it away from her face. Anni relaxed despite herself, any lingering tension melting away in an instant.

"Fine" she sighed softly, letting her mind drift. She was safe. There was nothing and no one who could hurt her with her guardian here. No wonder she never had nightmares with him around. A realization struck her just before she succumbed to unconsciousness. She hadn't sought this out for necessity. Neither an extreme case of sleep deprivation or emotional instability prodded her to sleep here this time. She would have been able to continue functioning just fine without it. It wasn't just comfort she wanted, she wanted him to comfort her. She couldn't imagine letting anyone else see her like this. Anni laughed at herself for not realizing it sooner. How long had she had feelings for him anyway?

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	20. Coward

Anni had never hated the sound of her alarm so much. It was quickly silenced, but it continued to irritate her. She had to get up. She couldn't just let herself go back to sleep cuddling her perfect pillow. She had to get to work. **Move** she told herself. **Get your lazy ass up.** Her muscles still refused to respond. All she could do was listen to the steady pounding of the heart beneath her ear.

"Aren't you gonna get up?" Shizuo asked sleepily, his voice resonating through his chest.

"I should be getting up now, yes" she admitted. He heaved an annoyed sigh before sitting up, forcing Anni to sit in his lap. "Noooo" she whined softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and hiding her face in his shoulder. The daylight was still too much for her sleepy eyes. The blanket slipped forgotten to the floor, letting the cool air torment her.

"Don't you have work today?" he continued.

"...Yes" she breathed in defeat. She got up and stumbled half-blind to her bag. By the time she came out of the bathroom, clean and in new clothes, Shizuo had rolled onto his side and gone back to sleep. Anni carefully picked up her blanket and pulled it over him, doing her best not to disturb him. He'd done enough by making sure she got up. After packing up the rest of her stuff as quietly as she could, she left for work.

-!DRRR!-

Anni snapped her phone shut angrily. How long did Alex expect her to sit there and listen to him laugh at her? She stuffed the phone in her locker and quickly changed into her uniform. Once she was done, and about to shut the door, it went off again.

"I love you" Alex said as soon as she picked up, laughter still ringing in his voice.

"I'm starting my shift now, you missed your chance" Anni huffed grumpily.

"Call me on your break then" he instructed. Anni hung up without ceremony.

-!DRRR!-

"So how is it that I've known this for over a month and you're only just now figuring it out?" Alex asked as soon as he flipped his phone open. Anni answered him with a decisive *Click*. He couldn't help the laughter that seized him, so it took him another minute to calm himself before he called her back. She was mad, and it was adorable.

"If you're going to continue teasing me, I don't want to hear it" she grumbled over the line. It was far too easy to imagine her with her indignant pouty-face.

"I'll behave, I promise" he consoled.

"Ya, right" came her sarcastic retort.

"So I take it you haven't had a chance to talk to him about it yet."

"No, he was asleep when I left. I don't know if I'll be telling him yet anyway…" she explained

"Anni, don't be stupid about this. Nothing good can come of you putting it off."

"You've forgotten that I'm a coward" came her surprisingly defiant remark.

"Ya, you are, so? Last I checked you were also getting better at controlling your fear. Or are you going to let something like this defeat you?" he taunted.

"Maybe. Besides, I'm happy with things as they are" she asserted.

"Oh no, don't go there…"

"Don't go where? What, am I supposed to desperately want to change things to be sappy and lovey-dovey all the time so suddenly, simply because I've realized I have feelings for him? I enjoy being his close friend, and there's no reason to rush anyway."

"No, you're not supposed to change your opinion, but I don't think you should try and hide it either. Didn't you say months ago that you wanted to avoid lying to him as much as possible?" Alex reminded.

"Yes, of course. It's not like I would lie to him if he asked…"

"Whatever. Your problem. You know my opinion" he relented.

"Thanks" she grumbled again, sarcasm soaking her tone.

"You're adorable when you're angry, you know that?"

*Click*

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	21. FLIP!

Shizuo was enjoying his day off, wandering about the city. Even if there was a punk who thought it would be a good idea to try and mug him as he passed through an alley, he was able to brush it off after punching his face in. There was still no sign of the flea in his city, so he was happy. He'd started today in a good mood, and he was determined to hang onto it. Good moods were rare and valuable to him, and he wasn't about to let this one go to waste. It made him even happier then to spot Anni in a park he passed through. She was sitting on a bench in the grass, scratching at something on her shoulder. Shizuo drifted closer to see it was a small siamese kitten. Anni looked truly content to have the tiny cat sleep while perched on her, and didn't move a muscle save for rubbing it's little head. He smiled as he walked up, admiring how adorable the two were.

"Yo" he greeted once he was close enough.

"Afternoon" she said quietly, still not moving. "I found a new friend."

"I see that. Are you going to keep it?" he asked, standing in front of her so she could see him without moving her head.

"Can't. My apartment doesn't allow pets. I just wanted to give her a happy place to sleep for a little bit…" Anni explained sadly. The sun had started to set, casting her in a soft orange light.

"It's going to be dark soon. You should probably head home" he advised. Anni's eyes widened and she paused rubbing the kitten's head for a moment.

"I don't want to leave her just yet. Could you stay with me?" she begged with puppy-dog eyes. Shizuo gave in and took the seat next to her. "Thank you!"

"I can't just leave you sitting alone at night" he admitted as he draped his arms over the back of the bench. The small disturbance woke the kitten, who yawned and stretched. Purring, she wandered from Anni's shoulder onto Shizuo's arm. He stayed perfectly still as she made the trek over to sniff his ear.

"She likes you" Anni celebrated.

"Looks like it" he observed as the siamese bit his ear. "Ow!" He turned to glare at the feline on his shoulder. The cat hissed and jumped down, darting away. "Stupid furball" he growled softly.

"Wait!" Anni stood, reaching after the fleeing stray, who swiftly disappeared. "Are you alright?" she asked, turning her attention back to him.

"I'm fine" he sighed, rubbing his ear.

"Move your hand" Anni ordered, pulling his wrist away with his compliance. She knelt on the bench as she examined his bleeding ear. "I guess you smelled good enough to eat" she joked, pinching the small puncture to stop the bleeding. Shizuo chuckled.

"I guess so, though I've never had someone tell me I smell good before."

"Aw, that's sad. Are kitty and I the only one's who've noticed?" Anni asked.

"If anyone else has, they haven't said anything" he answered. Anni pulled her hand away, rubbing her slightly stained fingers off on her pants. "Do you know you talk in your sleep?" he asked, recalling what had woken him the night before.

"Ya, sometimes. It annoyed the hell out of Alex. He would tease me in the mornings with whatever nonsense I'd spewed at him overnight. What did I say this time?"

"Apparently you were threatening someone in your dream. I believe your exact words were 'One wrong move, and I'll skin you and hang you by your intestines'." he recounted. Anni just laughed.

"Wow, that's easily the most comprehensible phrase yet. Was that all?"

"No, but I couldn't make out the rest. You were mumbling into my shoulder" Shizuo answered, quickly admonishing himself for lying. He'd heard the second part just fine; 'I won't let you hurt my Shizuo'. He had never been one for talking about dreams, much less trying to figure out what they mean, but her phrasing it like that really seemed to say something about what she thought of him. He still didn't know what to do with that kind of revelation, but he certainly wasn't averse to it.

"That certainly fits in my repertoire of threats. I must have been really mad at whoever it was to be so descriptive" she analyzed, getting distracted by the progressing sunset. "I'm sorry I woke you with it though. Probably not the most pleasant thing to hear when you're half-asleep."

"Don't worry about me" he instructed, admiring the skyline with her. Anni scoffed at him.

"No. I'm going to worry about you, if you like it or not" she asserted, crossing her legs on the bench. "It's not like I'm going to stop caring about your well being just because you told me to anyway. You're too important." Anni seemed to notice what she'd said the instant after it left her lips. She turned away to admire another part of the sky, but Shizuo still saw the blush spread to her ears.

"Why do you think I worry about you so much then?" he asked. He waited until she turned to face him again before continuing, "You're important too." Anni's face split into a grin for a second before she hugged him.

"Thank you" she said as he ruffled her hair. The little blonde pulled back and brushed his hand off her head before adding "Stay still, and don't kill me." **What the hell is she planning that she would have to order that?**

"I wouldn't kill you, Anni" he stated stiffly.

"I know" she said with a mischievous smirk as she reached up towards his face. **Is she going to…?** No. She pulled his sunglasses off his face and quickly twirled them around to rest them on her own nose. Shizuo couldn't help but laugh at her childish smile as she admired the park with them. She looked absurd.

"Did you think I would hurt you over THAT?" he asked as he chuckled.

"No… but I'm not stupid enough to go through with the part of my plan that would have gotten me killed" she answered carefully. "Which is why I won't be running anywhere."

"Good idea" Shizuo complimented, taking his glasses back. Darkness had completely fallen by then.

"I don't want to retreat inside just yet. May I wander about with you?" Anni requested.

"Of course."

-!DRRR!-

 **What is she hiding now?** Maya wondered as she walked. Anni had alternated between being irritated and content all through her shift, and didn't want to say anything about it, as usual. The first day they see each other after the sleepover, and she's back to being secretive. The blonde was infuriating.

Maya was taking a shortcut through an alleyway when said blonde passed by right in front of her. Anni was talking to Shizuo who was on her other side, so she didn't see her friend as Maya grabbed her arm. Maya didn't have time to process what happened next. She only knew that she was on the ground, and her head hurt like hell.

"What the hell Anni?!" she cried once she got her breath back. Her eyes pinched shut as she held the back of her throbbing head. She would have rolled onto her side had her legs not been tangled in one of the bushes lining the street.

"Maya?" she heard her friend say in confusion.

"Of course it's me you dipstick! Did you FLIP me?" Maya demanded, prying one eye open to see Anni's horrified expression.

"I'm sorry, I didn't… YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME!" the blonde yelled.

"Then help me up already you scaredy cat!" Maya yelled back. Her legs were pulled out of the plant and she was dragged to her feet, where she wobbled and let one hand cradle the back of her skull. "That hurt damn it" she grumbled darkly. Anni huffed a sigh.

"Your turn then" she offered quietly, crossing her arms and closing her eyes. She planned to let Maya take revenge immediately, and her coworker was only too happy to oblige. Maya's hand stung with how she smacked the back of her friend's head, sending Anni stumbling forward a step, but it was well worth it. That is, until Shizuo stepped in and snatched her arm.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded angrily as he hauled her into the air. "I thought you were her friend!" Maya was frozen in terror, unable to reply. Anni had to speak on her behalf.

"It's ok, I asked her to do that to make me feel better! Put her down!" she begged, grabbing the bodyguard by his vest. When he only glared down at her, she wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned her forehead into his chest. "Please, I've hurt her enough already!" she demanded, her voice cracking. Maya was slowly lowered to the ground, where she wobbled on her feet. As soon as she found her balance, she took off running. She had to get away. If he caught her again, there's no telling what he'd hit her with, or how far she'd fly. All she could think about were the stories she'd heard of things he'd done, and imagining herself on the receiving end. One thing the rumors could never capture though was the way the air around him changed. It was like his anger became a palpable thing, an aura surrounding him as a threat to any who dared to get too close. It had taken her breath away.

Maya tripped, and went sprawling out on her face. She stayed there for a moment, listening. All she could hear was her own labored breathing and her pulse pounding in her ears. No shouts of fury. No pounding stampede of pursuit. No crashing projectiles. Was she safe? Maybe. Maya used a wall to climb back to her feet. She thankfully recognized the street she was on. In her terror she'd made a beeline for home. Just a little further and she'd be safe. Thanks to Anni distracting him- **Anni.** Maya gasped. She'd left Anni alone to deal with him. He'd been furious, and Anni had put herself right in the line of fire. Maya couldn't go back. She couldn't face him again.

"I'm sorry, Anni" she whispered as she made the rest of the way home.

-!DRRR!-

"Maya, open up! It's me!" Anni called out as she started pounding on the apartment door. She'd only ever been to Maya's house once, and she hoped she remembered it correctly. She hoped Maya had made it home. She hoped Maya's phone was only dead, and not lying unattended in some dark alley. Relief flooded her as Maya opened the door. "You're ok!"

"Ya. Are you…?" she asked, looking around.

"He's not here. I came alone" Anni explained. She was then roughly dragged into Maya's apartment by the front of her shirt.

"I'm sorry" Maya said softly after she'd locked the door again. "I abandoned you."

"It's ok" Anni asserted, spinning Maya by her shoulders and wrapping her in a hug. "I'm ok. Nothing happened."

"That doesn't make it better" Maya pushed the blonde off. "I still left you behind when I should have stayed. You put yourself in danger for me, and I ran away. Some 'friend' I am."

"Let me pay you back for it then" Anni offered.

"What?"

"Like back there, where I let you smack me. Let me take revenge for leaving me."

"Oh. Fine" Maya agreed, not at all liking the way Anni smiled at her. She closed her eyes and waited. And waited. It was the door closing that made her open her eyes again. She was alone.

Anni thoroughly enjoyed the short snort of a laugh that she caught through the door. With her job done, she rushed down the stairs and out onto the street, where Shizuo waited.

"How is she?" he asked after emptying his lungs of smoke.

"She seems well enough. It looked like she mostly felt guilty for leaving me behind"

"Ah. I was more asking if she seemed injured…"

"Nothing that you did. Her palms were a little scraped, but her arm looked fine and she didn't have any trouble moving" Anni reported.

"Good" Shizuo said, visibly relieved. He put out his cigarette. "Where do you want to go now?"

"I don't know" Anni shrugged. "You know the city better than I do."

"Come on then" he instructed, messing up her hair as he walked by.

They wandered about together for a few more hours, until Anni finally let him walk her home around midnight. She insisted on sleeping in her apartment, even if she knew she wouldn't be free of the terrors in her head. After a parting hug, Anni was alone again. She got a midnight snack before condemning herself to sleep.

This time around, she was watching as the scumbag pulled someone else into the alley. Maya didn't even have a blade to try and defend herself. Anni watched in paralyzed horror as her friend was tied up and groped. Shizuo didn't show up this time either, so he got to lead Maya away with impunity. **NO!**

Anni stared down at her white knuckles, stained a ghostly hue by the moonlight streaming through her window. **I can't let that happen**.

 **-A/N-**

 **I'm too impatient to wait another day to post this. Also, huge thank you to Randomcassie8. You cheered me up enough to pump out a few more chapters and get over the pessimistic slump I've been in with my writing. You really made my day.**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	22. Just for a few days

A few days passed of little note. Maya did her best to avoid Shizuo. Anni spent the occasional evening walking about the city with him. Her nightmares still woke her at least once a night, alternating between who was captured. Sometimes it was Anni, as usual. Sometimes it was Maya. Sometimes the scumbag pulled a gun on her guardian. Despite this, Anni didn't let herself indulge enough to spend the night at Shizuo's apartment again. It wasn't her place to use him like that, if he cared or not. She got enough sleep to sustain herself, and in the end, that was all that mattered to her.

It was around that time that Anni found Kanra's invitation to a chat room in her inbox. She knew what it was, and hesitated to accept. If she accepted, she would have to deal with Izaya, but she would also be connected to everyone else. They'd all met her in person, and it's not like she had to reveal her identity anyway. There was also the threat of her interfering. She might influence the plot unintentionally, but what the hell. If she hadn't screwed up anything already, she wouldn't as long as she was careful. So she accepted. The moment she opened the chat room, she was pulled into a private conversation with Izaya.

[Kanra~ Hello Anni-chan!

How's life with the monster?

Lizzy~ What's with the invite?

Kanra~ I just wanna keep tabs on you.

I'm sure you don't mind~~

Lizzy~ Are we really the only ones on now?

Kanra~ Everyone else is off being busy without us ( T_T )

Lizzy~ I'll leave you alone with your misery then]

After leaving an introductory message for everyone but Kanra, Anni closed out the chat. In spite of Izaya, she was looking forward to being able to hang out with Celty, Mikado, Masaomi and Anri. She would be able to keep up more easily on what was going on in the plot this way, not to mention having more than two friends and her brother to really talk to. This was going to be fun.

-!DRRR!-

"You're kidding" Anni told her phone. She was tired enough from the training she'd just finished, she didn't need this.

"Just for a few days" Alex bargained. "I just wanna check up on you."

"Bull. You're coming for Izaya."

"I won't have anything to do with that crazy bastard, I swear" he promised.

"Riiiight" she drew out sarcastically

"I miss you, that's all. Have you gotten so used to living without me already? Have I been forgotten?" His attempt to distract her probably would have worked if she wasn't already certain of an ulterior motive.

"No, far from it. I miss you too, but you're planning something for when you come back. Don't think I can't hear it in your voice after all these years" Anni accused. She was met with silence. "You're obviously not planning to mess directly with me."

"I wouldn't, not after I screwed up like that."

"Then who are you after?" Anni almost answered her own question aloud. There was only one person other than Izaya that Alex would care about at this point. "That's not your style."

"What's not my style?"

"You want to come out here just to talk to Shizuo?" Silence fell on his line again. She was right. "You don't have to fly out for that. I'm not the only person who can use my phone."

"You think I would have missed that? No, I need to be there in person" Alex asserted.

"Three days, max" Anni bargained. It was easier than fighting to get answers at this point.

"I love you too" he said before hanging up. Apparently it was more than enough time to do what he planned. He'd probably tell her when to expect him later. Anni stuffed her phone back in her pocket and pushed herself off the wall she'd been leaning against. Around the corner a little ways down the street, she found Celty and Shizuo. The bodyguard was reading what looked like a longer message, which is probably why she hadn't heard the pair talking.

"Hello again Celty-san. Were you both waiting for me?" Anni asked, tolerating what had become Shizuo's default greeting for her. Having her hair ruffled like a little kid hurt her pride, but the fond gesture proved he wasn't afraid of breaking her so easily. It balanced out.

"That's just me. Celty was passing through and stopped to chat" Shizuo explained as Celty typed something new out.

"It's good to see you again. You look much better."

"Thanks, I feel much better. How are you doing?" Anni asked in return.

"I'm fine. I'm just heading home from a job" the fairy tacked out. She mounted her bike and added something else that she showed exclusively to Shizuo.

"Got it" he said curtly.

"I'll see you around later" she showed Anni before riding off.

"Later then" she called after the fairy. Once Celty had silently disappeared, Anni turned back to Shizuo, who was pondering her quietly from behind his sunglasses. "Yes?"

"It's nothing. You seemed upset when you walked up. Is something wrong?" Shizuo redirected.

"No, nothing, my brother is just being stubborn again. I had just gotten off the phone with him" she explained.

"I see" he said, starting to walk. Anni was quick to follow. "You usually have Fridays off work, right?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with…?" she trailed off as he ruffled her hair again. Instead of letting him get away with it this time, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him to a stop. "Shizuo, you're acting weird. What's going on?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about" he replied simply.

"Not you too! Why are the people around me hiding things from me so suddenly?"

"Anni" Shizuo growled in warning. His eyes were harsh behind his glasses. Anni realized she'd moved. She held her friend by the front of his shirt with her left hand, her right still holding his wrist. **When did I do that?**

"I'm sorry" she said, letting go and backing up a step. Shizuo silently adjusted his glasses and pulled out a cigarette. "That was my fault" she admitted simply as he took a drag. A cloud of smoke accumulated as he emptied his lungs.

"Then be more careful next time" he advised. The cigarette was tucked between his lips and he walked off with his hands in his pockets. Anni didn't follow him this time.

-!DRRR!-

The familiar squeak of her front door yanked Anni from sleep immediately and completely. It was amazing how quickly adrenaline could take over your system. The moonlight flooding in through her window was more than enough to see by, so she found her knife with ease. Alex had only called her that afternoon, it was far too early for him to show up. Shizuo would've made enough noise to wake her before opening her door, and the hinges probably wouldn't have been intact to squeak by then. Maya had no reason or way to be opening her door in the middle of the night. Celty maybe, but why? Anni was surprisingly calm as she waited just beside her bedroom door.

It seemed to only be one person who was trying to be quiet, from the sounds coming from the other side. There was a muffled *thump* as something was dropped, then they started moving closer. As soon as the door was slid open enough to admit the intruder, Anni grabbed one arm and flipped them over her shoulder. They landed with a muted thud against her carpet and a gasp. Her knees landed on their chest, driving the rest of wind from their lungs in a great huff. The voice and lack of extra squishiness on their chest told Anni she was dealing with a male. All the better. She pressed her blade against his throat, and waited.

" _-Fuck!_ " was his breathless curse. His gray eyes screwed shut and his teeth mashed together at the shock of pain.

"There is no way in hell you could have managed to buy a ticket to Japan and fly out here in less than twelve hours. What the hell Alex?" Anni demanded, only moving her knife.

"Get off and I might tell you" he choked, trying to push her knees. She obliged, getting up and plopping on her bed to the sound of her brother refilling his lungs. He coughed a few times as he sat up, before speaking again. "You weren't kidding about training."

"Why would I? I'm fully intent on being able to disable any threat to me or the people I care about" she explained mechanically.

"So you really wanna know why I'm here so soon?" Alex asked, climbing to his feet.

"Yes" came her curt reply.

"I lied. I had just gotten off the plane in Tokyo when I called you."

"You're an asshat. You weren't going to give me any say in the matter to begin with" Anni accused emotionlessly.

"I wasn't going to change my mind no matter what you said anyway" Alex said, heading to the closet to pull out his futon.

"I hope you don't plan on sleeping much these three days" she advised, lying down and curling back into her blankets.

"Still having nightmares? It's been what, two weeks?"

"Yup. It's your problem now too. Goodnight" Anni bid, letting herself crash back into sleep.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	23. Cuddlez

Alex was tired when he started out his search. Anni had woken him three times, twice with a shrill squeak of terror, and once by getting up so damn early for her shift. He was even more tired of walking around after the first two hours. He didn't get lucky and run right into the debt collector like he did last time. A giggle floated to him, tugging him from his search. Anni stood across the street, smirking at him. She pulled out her phone and waved it at him in a taunt. Alex made a show of sighing before giving her a nod. His sisters grin grew. Anni beckoned him with one finger before putting her phone away.

"You're having lunch with me first. I've only got so much time before my training today" she announced once he'd finished his jog across the street.

"Fine, if you insist" Alex said, rolling his eyes. Anni lead him off by his elbow, seized again by giggles.

-!DRRR!-

"Hello" Shizuo said into his phone. He stopped in the sidestreet, glad he hadn't been trapped in the loud crowds to deal with a call.

"Afternoon Shizuo" Anni sang from the line. He let himself smile. At least she was in a good mood.

"It's good to hear from you Anni. What can I do for you?"

"Are you busy?"

"Not really, but don't you have training starting soon?"

"Ya, but I'm not asking for me. My butt-head of a brother is in town-" she cut off to talk to someone else. "Ow, cut it out, I'm doing you a favor" she scolded. "Sorry. Anyway, Alex is here, and he wants to meet up with you. Do you mind?"

"Not really. I can meet you both near the dojo then" he offered.

"Thank you very much! I'll see you soon. Bye bye" she sang again, hanging up. Shizuo couldn't help but smile as he made his way to the place they'd arranged. Having her brother around had apparently cheered her up, and he was happy she was so energetic. He hadn't seen her so excited since before the incident with that one scumbag.

Somehow, he arrived before they did, so he had a smoke while he waited. They wandered up a few minutes later, laughing together as Anni pushed her brother off track a few steps. She was red in the face for some reason.

"Ah, Shizuo! There you are" she chimed as she saw him. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"I haven't been waiting long" he reassured as she skipped up. He reached out to ruffle her hair again, but the little blonde dodged to the side. Her eyes were bright, alive with a playful challenge. A challenge he didn't take. Shizuo slid his hand back into his pocket. Anni looked a little disappointed, but made up for it by crashing into his torso with a hug.

"I'm already a little bit late, so I can't stay" she explained as she released him and danced past. "I'll see you later. Have fun!"

"See you later" he promised as she disappeared inside. Then he turned to Alex, who was standing to the side, smiling at where he'd last seen his sister.

"I haven't seen her that happy in a long time" he observed simply.

"Neither have I. Thank you for coming out to visit her again" Shizuo said, making Alex laugh lightly.

"I'm not the only one who deserves credit here" he said, waving off the thanks.

"So what have you come to ask of me this time?"

"Something similar to last time. That, and I need to give you the usual big-brother-threat" Alex answered. He added an overly casual shrug.

"You intend to threaten me?" Shizuo asked, more cautiously confused than irritated.

"Yes, actually. Anni means the world to me" Alex asserted, his expression darkening. "If I ever hear that you've hurt her, or made her cry, I will find a way to make your life hell" Shizuo didn't say anything, focusing instead in keeping his irritation in check. As he didn't offer a challenge, Alex dropped his hostility and smiled. "Now that that's out of the way, I can ask for your help."

"This concerns Anni as well?" he assumed, adjusting his glasses and resisting the urge to knock him out. This was Anni's brother. It would be as bad as hurting her if he hit Alex. **He's only trying to look out for Anni** he reminded himself.

"Yes. Her nightmares are starting to wear on her. She's probably too proud to admit it to herself, but I can tell she's slowly breaking down" Alex explained, worry coloring his tone. "She needs to be able to sleep peacefully for a while and recover."

"She has been acting a bit off lately."

"I know. Anni said something about being able to sleep through the night when she stays with you, can you take care of her for a while until she's stable again?"

"I'll see what I can do, but I'm not about to force her to sleep in my apartment."

"I'm not asking you to. I'll talk to her a bit when she gets out" Alex suggested.

"I'll leave you two to talk after she finishes her training then. Was there anything else?" Shizuo asked, eager to get going. Something about Anni's brother still bugged him.

"Maybe a word of advice. She has a bad habit of avoiding anything that makes her uncomfortable, and pretending to be ok when she's not. Don't let her get away with it."

"I'll do my best" Shizuo promised, waving as he walked away.

-!DRRR!-

It was as the sun was setting that Shizuo caught sight of the Hael siblings in the south park. They were rather hard to miss, with Anni sitting on her brother's shoulders as they watched the sky change colors. Shizuo didn't feel it was his place to interfere, so he kept walking. Anni's squeal brought his attention back to the pair, as Alex had started spinning in place. His sister clung helplessly to his head until he slowed.

" _Ow!_ That's my hair you chicken!" Alex laughed loud enough for the bodyguard to catch. Shizuo decided he wouldn't be as unwelcome, so he started heading over.

"Let me down you asshat!" Anni squeaked frantically, nearly falling backwards off her brother in her desperation to escape the spinning.

"Do you not trust me?" her brother asked as he kneeled to let her fall more safely. Anni landed on her ass and elbows.

 _"Like hell!_ You know I hate that!" she replied, falling from panic to the same laughter as Alex, whom she decided to kick. He fell over, and was the first to spot Shizuo.

"Welcome to the fun" he greeted from the ground with a smile.

"If you say so" Shizuo said, offering Anni a hand up. After she bounced to her feet again, the little blonde threw her arms around her friend. "It's good to see you too" he said, taking the chance to mess up her hair as per the usual.

"Hello again" she chimed, letting go and dancing back a few steps. Alex climbed back to his feet on his own and brushed himself off.

"I'm going home, nut job" he informed his sister. "Don't stay out too late" Alex punched her arm as he passed.

"Love you too Dad" she quipped in return, sticking one foot out behind herself to try and trip him. Alex avoided the trap with ease.

"Later Shizuo" he said as he left.

"So where are we going today?" Anni asked.

"Where do you want to go?"

They wandered about the city for a few hours, during which Anni got a call from Maya. Shizuo didn't hear much of what it was about, but apparently Anni was talked into covering her coworkers shift for the next day.

"So much for my day off" she grumbled after she'd pocketed her phone. "Oh well. At least it's not a 7am shift."

It quickly became clear that Anni was exhausted, so Shizuo wordlessly started heading towards her apartment. When they were about halfway there, he decided to ask, "Would you like to stay at my place tonight?"

Anni missed a step. "Tonight? If you're asking, sure. Why not. Alex will probably enjoy not being woken up every other hour too."

"He'll probably enjoy you not waking up every other hour" Shizuo corrected.

"So he did say something" she muttered to herself.

"Does it matter if he did?" He felt his annoyance stirring.

"No" came Anni's soft answer after a moment. "It really doesn't matter, does it?" She sighed, all that remained of her energy and resolve seeming to leave her with that breath. Her little hand wound around his elbow as she walked close. If her change in demeanor hadn't calmed him before, that small gesture certainly did. Shizuo matched her pace as she fell into step with him so she didn't have to stretch to keep up with his strides. "Thank you" she whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes. He had gotten used to living with her, and having her around almost constantly, and even being her living pillow by now, but having her hang onto his arm like that still surprised him. He was going to have to get used to it though, with what he planned.

"Don't mention it" he said gently, guiding her home. It wasn't much longer until they stood before her door.

"I'll pack a change of clothes and be right back out" Anni said, straightening up and drawing energy back into her voice. "I'm home" she called cheerily as she pushed the door open, revealing her brother lounging on the couch with her laptop.

"Welcome back Trouble- going straight to bed?" her brother asked before noticing she'd left the front door open, and Shizuo waiting in the hallway. "Ah, packing."

"Ya" she confirmed, disappearing into her room. A minute later she came back out with arms full of folded clothes that were stuffed into her shoulder bag. "Don't destroy the house while I'm gone."

"I'm taking your bed" Alex informed her as she took her bag and headed for the door.

"Enjoy. I'd better find it in the same condition I left it" Anni warned before closing the door behind herself. "Let's go."

The short walk home passed without incident. As soon as they were inside, Anni slipped out of her shoes and went to change into her sleepwear. Shizuo decided to do the same, even if he knew he wouldn't be falling asleep soon. So after he grabbed Anni's blanket, he picked out a movie he hadn't seen in awhile and turned on the DVD player. It was one of Kasuka's earlier films, and one he particularly liked.

"There's no way I'll be awake long enough to watch a movie" Anni commented as she emerged from the bathroom.

"I know. Don't worry about it" he said as he took up a spot on the far end of the couch with the remote. She wrapped herself in her blanket and plopped into the cushion beside him, immediately leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not even going to bother trying then" she sighed as the opening credits started. Something she saw made her sit up. "This is one of Kasuka's movies?"

"Yes, it's one of my favorites" Shizuo replied with a chuckle. Anni looked conflicted.

"I'll try to watch it then" she decided, settling for leaning against his arm as the movie started. It wasn't the most comfortable position, so he moved to rest his arm about her shoulders.

"You still need to sleep" he reminded.

"I'll sleep when the movie's over" Anni said stubbornly. She lasted fifteen minutes before she gave in and laid down, using his lap as a pillow. Shizuo rested one hand on her side and the other on her head, gently brushing back her hair. "You really are trying to put me to sleep. No fair" she complained softly. He shushed her and went back to the movie, absently running his fingers through her hair. By the time the movie had come to an end, he was feeling a little sleepy, but his guest was unconscious. After he turned the TV off, Shizuo was left to carefully move Anni. It was amazing how malleable the little blonde was while asleep. He found that so long as he didn't move her quickly, she didn't seem to care. So he managed to pick her up and stretch out across the couch underneath her yet again. He did it almost perfectly, but as he was pulling her up to his chest, she stirred. "Hnnn? Shiz'o…?" she mumbled, thankfully not opening her eyes.

"Shhh, don't worry. Just go back to sleep" he soothed, wrapping one arm around her and smoothing her hair down with his other hand.

" _Yaaaay cuddlez_ " she sighed, snaking her hands under his shoulders and nuzzling her face into his neck.

"Yes, _'cuddlez'_ " he confirmed, smiling at her little display.

"Shush pillow, 'm sleep'n" she muttered. Shizuo had to force himself to keep from laughing at her, as that would surely wake her up completely. Anni went quiet after that, falling back into what he hoped were pleasant dreams. This whole situation was hard to wrap his head around. Before he met her, he would never have imagined that he would find a girl who not only didn't fear him, but depended on him and trusted him so implicitly. He didn't realize it was possible to find someone who would not only think of him exclusively as human, but take care of him, and worry about him, and accept him as he was, strength and all. It had become rather obvious now, that on top of everything else, she also cared for him. How could such a woman exist? Yet here she was, her fingers twitching slightly under his back as she dreamed. Tom-san had always said that he would eventually find someone, that he wasn't destined to be alone forever, that he was handsome enough to catch the eye of some sweet girl, but he never really believed him. Until now. Now he had a little blonde who he could defend. It was an incredible feeling. Shizuo slowly drifted off with his fingers still tangled in her hair.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	24. Plans

Anni drifted gently to reality, letting her eyes open. She could only see the soft skin of her favorite pillows throat, but that was good enough for her. Dozing while cuddling her sleeping Shizuo sounded like the best possible plan for her morning, especially when she could distinctly recall setting her alarm to the proper time. It was probably only because she had gotten used to getting up obnoxiously early that she was awake now. So she closed her eyes again and let her mind wander while listening to Shizuo's breathing. If her pillow woke before she left, she would have to say something. Anni couldn't keep doing this without letting him know exactly what it meant to her. Even if she'd spent last night here at his request, it felt wrong to keep something so important a secret.

Anni got to snuggle her sleeping guardian for what felt like an hour before he started to wake. She tried to keep from moving as he carefully slipped his hand out of her hair to rest it on her lower back instead. For some reason or another, Anni couldn't get over how adorable it was that he'd fallen asleep while stroking her hair. He apparently didn't want her to know, so she was happy to pretend to be asleep. Besides, the cuddles would probably come to a swift end if he knew she was awake. Sadly for Anni, fate was against her. Her nose itched.

"-choo!" she squeaked violently into her pillow, making him jump. She wasn't even allowed to sneeze normally. No, she had to do a stupid little squeak.

"Good morning!" he laughed.

"Shut up, I'm asleep" Anni asserted weakly, rearranging herself slightly.

"Just like you said last night" Shizuo observed, though he didn't move, which Anni was thankful for.

"Did I start talking in my sleep again?"

"You actually held a little conversation with me. Or should I say, you told your 'pillow' you were sleeping" he recounted, his smile obvious from the tone in his voice. Anni tensed. She would have been happy to go her whole life without him knowing she thought of him as her favorite pillow, among other titles.

"Quiet! You heard nothing" she ordered.

"Don't worry, I don't mind it." He brought his hand back up to brush her hair away from her face, forcing her to relax.

"Cheater…" she breathed. Shizuo stopped.

"What?"

"Using the stupid hair thing to calm me-" She was cut off as he started stroking her hair again.

"Like this?" he asked innocently. Anni wanted to be mad at him, to protect her pride and not be controlled by such a simple, gentle gesture, but she couldn't find the energy. It took all she had not to melt.

"Fffuuuuu…" she sighed.

"I'll take that as a yes" he chuckled, stopping and letting his hand just rest on her head, holding her close. Anni felt her face grow warm at that. If there was a time to tell him, it was probably now.

"Shizuo…" she started, all of the words she'd planned to say up until now flying away. **When have I ever been this nervous?**

"Yes?"

"I…" Anni fidgeted anxiously. "I just wanted to let you know…" **You worthless coward, he just let you use him as a bed for the fourth time and you can't bring yourself to say that you like him?** she ranted in her head.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding more concerned. When Anni couldn't bring herself to say any more, he sat up and held her by her upper arms to look her in the eye. She flinched back at first, but it wasn't like she would be escaping his grip, so she tried to show with her expression the things she couldn't get past her lips. It took a moment of Shizuo regarding her with confusion, but he seemed to get something out of her red face. "Ah, I see" he said, pulling her into a hug and holding her close again. "It's ok. How about I go first then?" he offered. Anni tensed in surprise. He pulled her back to see her face. His own expression was soft and kind, with hair still tousled from sleep. She could only watch in disbelief as he started talking. "You're special to me. I care about you, as more than just a friend, or a roommate. You're precious, and I want to keep you safe..." he trailed off, either running out of things to say or giving her a chance to step in. Anni responded by throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him as tightly as she could.

"You're precious to me too. I can't stand it when you get hurt, and I love being around you, and I love it when you smile. You make me feel so safe all the time, and I love that you're kind enough to take care of me like this, and I love being so close to you and how much you trust me…" she gushed, her words running together. Anni pulled back abruptly, startling Shizuo who had apparently just gotten comfortable with the hug. "I want to take you up on your offer!" she proclaimed, gripping his upper arms. Shizuo blinked.

"Which one?" he asked slowly, still surprised.

"I want to move back in."

"Oh, that one. We can work on that after your brother goes home then" he said, his small smile returning. Anni grinned back, overwhelmed with relief. She jumped as her phone's alarm went off, breaking up her perfect little moment. It was time to get ready for work. "One more thing" Shizuo added once she'd silenced her phone.

"Yes?" she asked giving him her full attention. Something in his tone was off.

"You should have next Friday free, right?" He was much more reserved and serious than he had been just a moment before. Anni knew where this was going now, and was nearly overcome with nervous excitement, but forced herself to adopt a similar tone instead.

"I should" she answered carefully.

"Would you like to spend the day with me?"

"Nothing would make me happier" she answered earnestly. Shizuo smiled with her and didn't move as she planted a small kiss on his forehead. Anni darted off, giggling as she grabbed her bag and slipped into the bathroom. She would work through all of her holidays if it meant they would all start this well.

-!DRRR!-

Alex was navigating the massive crowds on the main streets as he made his way to Anni's little manga shop. Apparently her friend had a date today, and coerced Anni into covering her shift, which his sister failed to mention when she dropped by last night. He'd only found out when he called her wondering where she was. Once she'd gotten him on the line however, she'd absolutely insisted he meet her for lunch, forcing him to brave the insane numbers of people outside yet again. So Alex got to wait grumpily just outside the shop for a few minutes while his sister changed into civvies. Then she came skipping out, humming softly.

"What the hell happened to you?" Alex asked, drawing her attention.

"Good afternoon brother! Come on, let's go get something to eat!" she coaxed, pulling him along by his arm.

"Seriously Anni, what the hell is up?" he laughed as she threaded quickly through the throngs of people.

"You'll see!" she chimed.

"It sounds like SOMEONE had a good night" he joked, quickly grabbing her wrist as she tried to hit him.

"Get your mind out of the gutter" she instructed, but her glare only lasted a second. "Now hurry up!" Anni took off again, dragging him along behind her. He wasn't at all surprised when they ended up at Russia Sushi.

"You're so predictable."

"I don't care" she retorted, scurrying inside with only a wave at Simon. Despite being so excited, she refused to say anything about what had happened until after their food arrived. Alex had his own guesses, but he wanted to confirm exactly what it was.

"So what's up?" he asked casually before starting on the sushi in front of him.

"He asked me out" she answered quickly, with barely constrained excitement.

"... Is that all?" he joked, but Anni seemed to miss the sarcasm.

"Be quiet, it means a lot to me-"

"It was a joke you dunderhead, I'm happy for you" Alex laughed.

"...Quiet" Anni busied herself with her food.

"So was this before or after-"

"-These chopsticks are going through your eye-"

"-you… went to sleep" he finished, surprised by the heat of the glare she was giving him.

"It was this morning. Any other arbitrary questions, or are you going to give up on trying to make dirty jokes?" She clicked her chopsticks at him, which came off far more cute than threatening.

"I think that's it for now" he said, making her roll her eyes. "You're acting like a kid again, little one."

"Ya, well… I feel like a kid, so shush." They ate quietly for a few minutes before Alex spoke up again.

"You have rather inconvenient tastes" he commented. Anni paused and eyed him warily.

"What EXACTLY do you mean by that?" she asked. She was apparently trying to sound sweet, but she did a terrible job of covering her irritation.

"I mean you had to go and pick a guy I couldn't properly threaten. What the hell am I supposed to do if he goes and breaks your heart? Punch him?" he suggested, breaking the tension and making his sister giggle.

"Might shatter your hand on his face" she theorized.

"I happen to like my bones where they are. Could you pick someone else so they stay that way?" He was far from serious, and was glad Anni caught that this time around.

"Of course, because your comfort is the most important factor here" she said, rolling her eyes at him again. "Why don't you go try and tell Shizuo to 'pick someone else'?"

"That would almost definitely end in my bones NOT staying where they are" he sighed. Anni snorted her laughter, nearly choking on her bite of food. "Easy there Trouble."

"Shush."

-!DRRR!-

-Lizzy has entered the chat-

Kanra~ Welcome back Lizzy-chan!

Setton~ How are things going?

Tarou~ Evening Lizzy

Lizzy~ Hey guys!

My day was absolutely amazing ( ^_^ ) d

Kanra~ That's great to hear!

What happened?

Lizzy~ Be quiet Kanra

This doesn't involve you

Setton~ I'm curious too Lizzy

Tarou~ So am I

I'm glad to hear you're feeling better than you were last time

Lizzy~ Alright

So the guy I have a crush on asked me out this morning 3

Kanra~ Oh?

Taro~ I'm happy for you!

-Setton has invited you to a private conversation-

[Setton~ You said earlier that you live in Ikebukuro, right?

Lizzy~ Ya

Why do you ask?

Setton~ Do you happen to know Heiwajima Shizuo?

Lizzy~ He asked me on a date this morning

How did you know?

Setton~ Because he told me about it when I talked to him today

It's me, Celty

Lizzy~ Really?

Setton~ Hello Anni!

Lizzy~ Hello!

It's great to hear from you

Setton~ I'm so happy for the two of you

Lizzy~ Thank you ( ^_^ ) ]

Anni closed the private chat to see Izaya and Mikado had continued the conversation without them. Surprisingly, Izaya didn't say anything more about the subject, but Anni was happy to avoid his prying. She talked to the group for a while longer, until it hit 11 and she decided to follow Alex's example and go to bed. He'd crashed around 10, saying he had to get up early to make his flight the following morning.

That night was quiet. Anni woke up to her alarm, to find her brother was already gone. Not one nightmare. Not even Alex leaving had woken her. She was ecstatic.

Shizuo was just as happy for her when she told him she'd managed to sleep peacefully on her own. Anni was sad that she wouldn't have an excuse to cuddle him anymore, but she was also happy to not have to depend on him.

Anni got a chance to chastise Maya during their break the next day, but it only ended up in Maya gushing over her new boyfriend and everything they did on their date. Anni listened patiently, waiting for Maya to take a breath before dropping her own bombshell.

"Shizuo asked me out" she said simply. Maya's jaw dropped and she lost track of her own story.

"You can't!" were the first words out of her mouth.

"Why not?" Anni laughed.

"Because it'll destroy the platonic defender-slash-damsel thing you had going!"

"What happened to you thinking he was scary?"

"Of course he's still scary, but he's only a scary monster to everyone but you" Maya explained. The blonde glared at her.

"Don't call him a monster in front of me" she warned.

"I'm not calling HIM a monster, I'm talking about the way he ACTS" Maya defended. Anni sighed and let it drop.

Days passed slowly, and most nights passed peacefully. Routine fell back into place like it had never been disturbed. Anni didn't spend another night at Shizuo's, though she did start cleaning things up in preparation for her eventual move back to his place. Even with something to occupy her, she became more and more anxious with each passing day. She couldn't wait for Friday to roll around, but she was terrified she wouldn't be prepared when it did. Anni wanted to do everything in her power to make sure it went well.

By Thursday night, she'd worked out a plan with Shizuo for their date and gotten herself an outfit especially for the occasion. It also meant that Anni would be wearing a skirt, which she wasn't accustomed to. She never liked going into public without pants, but she was willing to endure it for him. Anni went to bed that night with a strange sense of foreboding, which reminded her vaguely of the night Shizuo was shot. It was written off as premature butterflies and ignored in favor of sleep.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	25. Same slime

Anni blinked. Shizuo glowered down at her with direct fury. What she could only assume was his grip bruised her upper arm. That hurt far too much for this to be a dream. "Shizuo?" she asked in confusion. **What's going on?** She finally managed to tear her eyes from his, taking in the knife lodged a quarter of an inch into the skin under his right clavicle. That's probably what was making him so angry. But it was her knife. And her bloodstained right hand wrapped around the handle. Anni quickly pulled it away and dropped it like it had burned her. "I'm sorry! I don't…" she squeaked, meeting his eyes again. The edge had left his glare, but it still quelled any more thought of speaking. He turned his attention to something behind her. Anni was filled with a sense of dread as she turned to see what he was staring at. Her breath caught in her throat. A man lay there, face down, unrecognizable for how mangled and bloody he was. Just from where she was, she could see his right arm was broken, and had been stabbed straight through, right between the radius and ulna. His left leg was bleeding in two places, likely from more stab wounds. His right leg twisted at a sickening angle. None of the skin visible on his face was a healthy color for all the bruising, and his jaw was broken. His shirt was tattered and bloodstained with at least a dozen shallow slashes. Anni's knees gave out under her. This was not Shizuo's work. It was hers. **What the hell happened!?**

-!One hour earlier!-

Anni was pulled from her already anxious sleep by her phone, though it wasn't her alarm. She groaned and haphazardly threw her arm in its direction, somehow wrapping her fingers around the source of her irritation. It was none other than her coworker calling her in the middle of the night. She flipped her phone open. "What do you need Maya?" she muttered sleepily, still far from fully conscious.

"I think Maya needs someone to come help her. She's a little too tied up to come to the phone now" the voice on the other line explained. She sat up abruptly. It was the voice from her nightmares. It was the voice she had never wanted to hear again. Even over the phone, there was no mistaking it.

"Don't you dare touch her" Anni threatened breathlessly, still in shock.

"It's a little late for that… but I'll let her go now if you come take her place" he offered.

"Tell me where-" she started in a growl.

"Not so fast, though I know you're eager to finish what we started back in that alleyway a few weeks ago…" he taunted, bringing a shiver to Anni's spine.

"What do you want, you worthless scum?" she snarled.

"Is that any way to talk to someone who holds your friend's life in his hands?" he asked. That alone didn't break Anni's heart, it was that soft, feminine shriek of pain that followed. It was Maya's voice.

"What else do you want?" she asked quietly.

"That's more like it. I'll tell you where to meet me, but you have to come alone, and unarmed. If I see or hear anyone else, especially that monster, Maya is as good as dead. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand" she whispered. As soon as he gave her the location, Anni was moving. She made sure to wear a pair of tall socks, to hide her weapon. She didn't call anyone, she didn't speak, she just power walked to the outskirts of the town, where the small abandoned warehouse hid. There was no plan, no backup, no safety. There was just a terrified and furious little girl walking knowingly into a trap. She was a boiling mess of anxiety, fear and rage as she strode into the darkness, barely noticing anything around her.

The side door was left wide open for her. "I'm here" Anni called out shakily as she slipped inside. Her anger simmered just below the surface, kept forcefully in check. She needed to seem weak, defenseless. She had to make him think she would be as easily dealt with as last time. It was her only chance of this going her way.

"Hands up" he commanded, stepping out from behind a dingy shelf. He was just as bandaged and banged up as the last time they'd met, though this time his nose was crooked from how Shizuo's fist had flattened it. There were other dingy shelves lying about, some empty, some filled with scattered trash and junk. Across from her, past the scum, a set of rusted metal stairs lead up to the second level. Anni did as instructed, letting only her fear color her features. Her short sleeve shirt made it so he didn't have to check her arms, so he got to go straight to patting down her sides and pockets. He took his time, groping her boobs and ass along the way. "You never know where you girls will hide weapons nowadays" he excused. Thankfully, he was too distracted by his lust to check below her knees.

"Please, just don't hurt Maya" she begged, letting her voice strain like she was on the verge of tears.

"You're still so concerned about your little friend? Would you like to see her then?" he teased, pulling out his knife to tilt up her chin.

"Yes please" she choked, not daring to nod.

"Let's go pay her a visit." He got behind her and pushed her forward. Anni tripped over her own feet, sprawling out on her face. "You won't be able to get anywhere like that" he observed. A rough kick impacted her side. Anni curled into herself with a groan, which did well to hide her knife as she moved it from her sock to her pocket. "Get up" the slime ordered. She slowly pulled herself to her feet, only over exaggerating the pain a little. The scumbag grabbed her right arm and twisted it behind her back, forcing her towards the stairs. The stumble up the steps was far from pleasant, but she managed.

What she saw as she made it to the second floor stunned her. This went beyond the horror she expected. The floor was mostly clear, save for the fixture in the middle. A metal bed frame supported a tattered mattress that was on its last leg. Maya laid on top of the mattress, face down, tied to the frame by her ankles and wrists. Her clothing consisted solely of a blindfold and gag. Bruises and shallow oozing cuts peppered her pale skin. Her blindfold was stained with tears. Maya didn't move, save for the shallow rise and fall of her chest. Anni snapped.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo was anxious. He was nervous. He knew he'd already done everything he could to prepare for tomorrow, but he couldn't sleep. So he was walking around in the dead of night, hoping to sooth his nerves and calm down enough to get to bed. He also wanted to be well rested for tomorrow. Everything had to be perfect. He couldn't let her down. It was then that he spotted Anni. Ordinarily, he would have called out to her, or caught up with her, and asked why she was out on her own so late. But something about her was different. The way she moved, the way she held herself, and most obviously her expression. She was distressed, rushing off somewhere. He wasn't about to let her walk alone, but it was clear she didn't want him with her, or else she would have contacted him. So he started following her. It wasn't hard to evade her notice. She probably wouldn't have recognized him if she passed right by him, telling by how she walked. He still kept his distance for a while, but somehow lost her near the outskirts of town.

He had been searching for a little while when he heard a formless howl from one of the nearby warehouses. He charged in through a side door that had been left open, but he didn't see anyone immediately. There was a soft whimpering coming from the second floor though, so he started towards the stairs. A voice from above made him stop.

"A little birdy told me you're going to die today" the voice stated. He could make out the chilling anger lying just below the surface of the otherwise calm feminine tone. Was that Anni? A wordless, masculine whine started, only to be abruptly cut off. A man dropped from the landing above the stairs, crashing into the railing halfway down with a *crack* and falling limply to the ground. He didn't move. He was badly beaten and bloodied. His leg twisted the wrong way, undoubtedly broken in the fall. Then Anni started down the stairs. She was bloodstained as well, though Shizuo only saw a few small injuries. Her hands were the worst, specifically the hand that held her knife. The oblivious girl didn't see him as she quickly made her way to the ground floor. She had eyes only for the unconscious man. Shizuo knew that look all too well, though it was strange to see it on someone else's face. She was going to kill him. He had no idea what was going on, but he knew Anni. She didn't want to be a killer any more than he did.

"Anni!" he called out as he came up behind her and grabbed her left arm, stopping her advance. Her first response was to switch her blade to her right hand and spin, sinking the metal into the skin just under his collarbone. Her eyes held his, at the mercy of the same mindless fury he was fighting to control. There was no recognition in her expression, only a wild blood thirst. He couldn't see Anni in those eyes, which only fueled his own anger. When he didn't release her, she twisted the knife.

"Get out of my way!" she snarled at him.

"Anni, get ahold of yourself! I'm not going to let you become a murderer!" he shouted back. That seemed to give her pause. She blinked at him, and her expression cleared. What had once been anger turned to helpless confusion. "Shizuo?" she asked uncertainly. He was about to order her to move her knife when she seemed to notice it for the first time. It was thrown away like it had suddenly bitten her. "I'm sorry. I don't…" she started, falling silent as she met his eyes again. Shizuo managed to calm himself a bit, seeing her act like herself. He didn't know if it was the shock of catching herself stabbing him, or the way he glared down at her, but his little blonde looked scared and uncertain.

He let his glare fall on the man lying behind her, and the puddle of blood forming around him. Anni turned slowly. She gasped as her eyes fell on her victim, and after a moment, her legs gave out. She slipped from his grip, landing on her knees. The bruises that had started to form on her arm already showed a clear imprint of his fingers, but she didn't pay the injury any heed. When she didn't move for a minute, he suspected she was going to have a breakdown of some sort. Shizuo had no idea what to do, so he waited as patiently as he could for her to react.

"Maya!" she shouted suddenly. That was all it took to get her up and moving. She retrieved her knife and started to dash up the stairs as fast as her little legs would carry her.

"What's going on?" he asked as he ran up after her. While Anni continued on without missing a beat, Shizuo paused in surprise at the top of the stairs. Maya was tied, nude, to a worn mattress in the center of the room, bruised and cut in a few places. That was as much of an answer as he was going to get, as Anni was too occupied with cutting the restraints and taking off the gag and blindfold to speak to him.

"Maya, Maya! Wake up. Speak to me" She shook her unconscious friend, who didn't move. When she didn't get a response, she turned to Shizuo. "C'n you bring me his pants, 'n a belt 'f he's got one?" she asked hurriedly, her words slurring with how quickly she forced them out. He nodded and went back downstairs. It wasn't a pleasant request to fulfill, but Maya was going to need something to wear. The man didn't have a belt, so Shizuo donated his own. By the time he made it back upstairs, Anni had already slipped out of her shirt and was pulling it over Maya's head. Only a plain black bra covered her upper half, revealing another bruise to her ribs, but she didn't seem to care in the least. " _Thank you_ " she said reflexively as he handed her the pants and belt. As soon as his hands were free, Shizuo started unbuttoning his vest. Anni was too engrossed in taking care of her friend to notice him offer it to her, so instead he draped it over her shoulders. "Thanks Shizuo" she said quickly, slipping her arms through it and going back to her task. Once the poor girl was dressed, Anni sat her up and maneuvered Maya to hang on her back.

"Let me take her" he offered as she stood, staggering slightly under Maya's dead weight.

"This is my fault, and my mess to clean up. I appreciate your help, but I need to do this" she asserted stubbornly, making her way towards the stairs. She hadn't even bothered to button up his vest, so her front was still visible.

"Anni, you might fall down the stairs at this rate" he observed, making her stop.

"Fine. Take her" she sighed. Maya was transferred to his arms and they swiftly left the warehouse, Anni finally buttoning his vest along the way. They never needed to debate on a destination. It was clear Maya needed a hospital.

"What happened?" he asked as they walked. Anni took a while to answer.

"Do you remember the bastard who tried to use me to blackmail you a few weeks ago?" she asked slowly.

"Was that the same slime?"

"Ya. He called me and told he had Maya, and where he was. But he said I had to come alone, or he would kill her. When I got there and saw her… like THAT, I blacked out. You know more about what happened after that than I do" she explained, rubbing a knot on her collarbone that the too-large vest didn't cover. "How'd you find me?"

"I saw you walking and followed you. I still don't like the idea of you out alone in the middle of the night" he answered, shifting Maya a little in his arms. He hoped she didn't wake up while he was still carrying her. The last time they'd met, she'd been absolutely terrified of him.

"Of course not. Thank you. If you hadn't gotten there in time…" Anni slowed a bit, before straightening and taking up a faster pace. "Let's hurry" she suggested as she walked stiffly out ahead. Shizuo followed without comment. They made it quickly to the nearest hospital, and Anni insisted on being the one to carry Maya inside. He waited out on the sidewalk. When Anni emerged a short time later, she looked lost.

"You ok?" he asked as she stopped beside him, staring at the cement. She pulled his rolled up belt out of her pocket and returned it to him. He didn't feel like putting it back on right now, so it got stuffed it in his pocket.

"No. Not at all" Anni answered. Shizuo rested his hand on her right shoulder silently. She slowly looked up at him, though instead of meeting his eyes, her gaze settled on the bloodstain left on his shirt. "Some girlfriend I am. The night before our first date, and I have to go and stab you."

"It's ok. I understand" he said simply. That only seemed to annoy her.

"It's not ok. I still STABBED you" she retorted. Shizuo didn't feel like arguing, so he decided to steer the conversation a little differently. He gently ran his thumb over the knot on her collarbone, making her stiffen.

"Did I do this?" he asked quietly. Anni stayed silent. He didn't really need her answer to know. It was exactly where he remembered the break being. He never could forget the way her face had contorted in pain that day. "Can you forgive me?" he asked in the same tone.

"Of course!" Anni answered hurriedly, coming alive with concern. "I never held it against you to begin with! Even Alex couldn't blame you once I'd explained what had happened. You were only defending yourself, you had no way of knowing it was me!" She waited eagerly for him to speak, but instead he grabbed her left hand and pinned it against his wound. "Shizuo! What…" she protested, trying to wrench free without success. It took her a moment for her to get his point and stop fighting. "Can you forgive me?" she begged, staring up at him with pleading eyes.

"Of course" he answered, pulling her into a hug. "I never blamed you."

They started to make their way to her apartment, Anni slipping her hand into his. Her fingers twitched too much. She gripped his hand a little too hard. There was no way she would be sleeping by herself tonight, if at all. As he expected, she only asked him to wait a moment when they arrived at her door. She returned in a long sleeve shirt with clean hands. Her bag was slung over her shoulder and his vest was returned to him, Anni thanking him again for letting her use it. He slipped it back on as she locked the door, and they were off again. Anni settled for winding her arm around his for the short trek home.

Once inside, Anni dropped her bag and headed for the bathroom, leaving the door open. Shizuo settled onto the couch and waited. "Ah" he said as she came back with some gauze, bandages, and a washcloth.

"Sit still" she instructed simply, setting her materials on the table and kneeling on the couch beside him. His vest and bowtie were set to the side before she unbuttoned the top portion of his shirt to get at his wound. Shizuo admired the ceiling as she worked, gently cleaning and bandaging the mark she'd left. At least he thought it was gentle. "How's that?" she asked as she finished, leaning back. He stretched his arm and rolled his shoulder, testing the bandage.

"It works" he reported as he pulled his shirt back into place over it.

"Good" she nodded, gathering up the leftovers and returning them to the bathroom. Shizuo, meanwhile, headed to the kitchen to set up some tea. He felt she might enjoy some tonight, and he had more than enough. A clatter of something falling caught his attention. Anni plopped into the couch, glowering at how her knife still wobbled on the table. Shizuo made sure he'd set the stove correctly before joining her. "My dad gave that to me before he died. I must have been around nine or ten. If it were any other blade, I would probably be asking you to break it about now."

"I was wondering why it seemed so important to you" he said simply, leaving her room to go on. With how often he used to vent to her, he could at least listen to her now.

"I've never really seen it as a weapon. I've always seen knives as tools. Be it an owl carved in wood, or a warning carved in flesh, a knife is only ever what it wielder makes it" she explained softly. "My dad was pretty good at carving, you know. He was always making things for my brother and I. He taught us both, but Alex took to it better than I did. I liked drawing better. And now look at what I'm using his gift for."

"You're not a killer, Anni" he reminded.

"I would be, if you hadn't stopped me. I'm capable of it. I would have used THAT to-"

"But you didn't" he asserted, not bothering to hide his annoyance. Anni looked for a moment like she was about to retort, but stopped herself.

"I'm an idiot. You already know this all too well, don't you?"

"Ya. I've been fighting a similar battle for a long time" he confided. "For what it's worth, I don't think you were wrong to beat the scum like that, after what he did to you and your friend. I only stopped you because I knew it would hurt you to cross that line."

"Thank you" Anni sighed. In a fluid movement, she leaned over to rest her forehead against his. Shizuo closed his eyes and stayed with her like this until the boiling water pulled him away. What remained of the night was spent talking over tea. They agreed to put off their plans for the following day, as Anni would be spending most of her time at the hospital with Maya. The little blonde also hinted that she wouldn't be emotionally stable enough to handle something of that nature.

When the daylight started streaming in through the window, Anni changed and left for the hospital. It didn't pass his notice that she wore another long sleeved shirt that hid the bruises he'd left on her arm. Shizuo stayed home and decided to get a few hours of sleep.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	26. Forgotten

Anni fidgeted in discomfort. The chair below her suddenly seemed like the hardest place to sit in the world. Maya's parents were arguing with the doctor, demanding to know exactly what happened to their daughter. Poor Maya still hadn't opened her eyes, which only worried them more. Anni sat across from Maya's sniffling little sister in the waiting room, unable to bring herself to tell the family about last night's events, or that it was all her fault. So she played with her hands and avoided meeting anyone's eyes. Maya's roommate wandered in with three others in tow. The lot chose to take up more seats in the waiting room instead of talking to the doctor who still had his hands full with the parents.

"You're Anni-chan, right?" Maya's roommate whispered, taking the seat next to her. She had long black hair and a sweet face. "Maya talks about you a lot."

"That's me. She'll be happy to see you all when she wakes up" Anni replied, matching her volume.

"I'm Caroline, nice to meet you. Do you know how she is? I don't want to get involved in that…" she motioned to the commotion the poor doctor was attempting to control.

"They say she's going to be fine. Most of her injuries were no more than skin deep, but she still hasn't woken up. She should be regaining consciousness any time now…"

"I wonder what happened. When she didn't come home last night I was worried, but I just assumed she was spending the night with her new boyfriend" Caroline explained, nodding vaguely at one of the people she'd brought with her. Anni was too wrapped up in her own anxiety to notice who it was.

"This isn't your fault, don't worry about it. She's going to be ok" Anni asserted with the most encouraging grin she could manage. Caroline returned a sympathetic smile.

"You two are really close, aren't you?" The question caught Anni off guard. What startled her even more was something landing on the back of her hand. **Water?** She reached up to find her cheeks were wet. Anni muttered a curse and hid her face in her hands. "She's going to be ok, you said so yourself" Caroline consoled, rubbing Anni's back.

Hours seemed like an eternity as they crawled past. Maya's family and friends all introduced themselves and talked while they waited. Anni listened, but refrained from saying anything about herself.

The doctor came back in sometime in the early afternoon. Anni had stopped paying attention to the time a while ago, as it only seemed to make the world spin more slowly.

"Would you come with me please?" he asked, motioning to Maya's worried parents. They sprang to their feet and followed him quickly, pulling Maya's sister with them. He returned half an hour later without the family.

"How is she?" one of Maya's more vocal friends asked. **What was his name again? Kane-something?**

"She's awake, but there are some complications" the doctor reported in a detached voice.

"What do you mean 'complications'?" he demanded.

"Maya seems to be suffering from a mild case of amnesia. We don't know at the moment the extent…-" Anni stopped paying attention. Maya didn't remember what happened. She didn't need Anni around anymore. Even if she did need someone, there were plenty of people here now to take care of her. Anni stood numbly and left the hospital, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone.

-!DRRR!-

The sweets called to her from the front window of the store. **We'll make it all better** they promised. **We're not even that expensive…** Anni gave in and went inside, buying a handful of her favorites and a few extras as a gift for her boyfriend's sweet tooth. The cherry lollipop was the first sacrifice as Anni started walking again. She didn't even know where she was going. Her apartment was silent and lonely, and she would likely only end up going to sleep and breaking down after the first nightmare if she went there. Shizuo had said he was going to sleep as she left, so his place was out. She couldn't handle staying at the hospital any longer. Her feet went about taking her where they wanted again. It came as no surprise as Anni wandered up to where she'd planned to meet Shizuo for their date today, before the whole thing had been postponed. It did surprise her to see him there though. He stood facing away from her, fishing something out of his pocket. Anni crinkled her nose as he shook another cigarette from its pack. She'd always disliked that habit, but she understood why he did it, and it's not like she had any say. That is, before now. Maybe, as his girlfriend…

Anni snuck up behind him and plucked the cancer-stick from his lips before he could light it. To say he was surprised as he turned to face her would be an understatement. "Here" she said around her lollipop, pulling one just like it from her little bag and offering it to him. "It's better for your health."

"If you say so" he relented with ease, taking the treat and pulling off the wrapper. "How's Maya?" he asked before plopping it in his mouth.

"She's awake now at least, but…" she took her sweet out and twirled the stick between her fingers.

"But?"

"Amnesia. She doesn't remember what happened. They say she should be fine otherwise though." Anni admired the way the light caught on the candy as it spun.

"You seem to be holding up well, considering" he observed.

"For now" she corrected. Shizuo rested his hand on her head as a small comfort. Anni closed her eyes tried to relax. "Would it be ok if I started moving back in sooner than planned? I would like to get some real sleep without worrying about moving my clothes back and forth…"

"That's fine" he reassured, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Anni pinned his hand against the side of her face, where she could nuzzle into his palm. He smelled like smoke and safety, as always. When had she come to associate his natural scent with safety again? She dismissed the silly question. Something like that didn't matter anyway. It was so warm. So perfect. If only…

Anni froze as she opened her eyes, realizing not only what she was doing, but that they were still in public. Shizuo stared down at her in stunned silence, a blush creeping across his cheeks. Anni hurried to release his hand, heat spreading through her own face. Before he could react, she whispered a quick apology and turned away. **Why? Why do I have to be so damn impulsive today?** she wondered as she wandered a few steps away. The remains of her lollipop gave way with a *crunch* under her teeth. The numbness was fading, and Anni didn't want to see what was behind it.

A few minutes passed, with Anni leaning against the wall and absently watching the people pass by on the sidewalk. She lost herself in thought easily, not really caring where Shizuo was or what he was doing. It was far too likely that she would do something stupid again, and she didn't particularly want him involved if she did.

"You're quieter than usual" he observed, leaning beside her.

"So says _Mr. Peace and Quiet_ himself" Anni quipped. **There it is**. "Ah, no, forget I said that. I'm sorry" She covered her face with her hands. "I'm just…"

"Anni, are you ok?" he asked, reaching out to her.

"No" she replied curtly, pulling away enough to make him return his hand to his pocket. "There was a reason I said I wasn't up for anything… serious… today." The little blonde went back to worrying the candy stick between her molars.

"I think you need some cheering up."

"Shizuo, I just said-"

"It won't be serious, I promise. But we need to hurry" he explained quickly, turning on heel to walk away.

"Wait, wha- hey!" she called. She was forced to jog after him to catch up with his long strides. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

A few minutes of power walking brought them to an old looking building. It wasn't very tall, but it was still the tallest in the immediate area. "What's this?" Anni wondered aloud as she was led around to the east side, where the fire escape was. The ladder to the metal stairs had been left down.

"Come on" Shizuo coaxed, starting up the ladder. Anni grumbled and followed up after him. What in the world is so special about this building? It looked like it hadn't received real use in a few years. Her legs started to burn after the fourth flight of taking steps two at a time. She still couldn't catch up to Shizuo, who didn't seem tired in the least. Thankfully he stopped to wait for her at the top, just below the edge of the rooftop. She did her best to hide that she was winded as she made it to his side. He stayed in place and smiled as he waved her on ahead.

Anni finally understood why he had wanted to hurry. The sun was setting on Tokyo, dyeing the sky orange and painting the towers in red and purple. Windows gleamed and shone with the dying light, taking her breath away. A playful breeze pushed her forward, tugging at her hair and clothes, and making the little bag of sugar hanging on her wrist swing. The city spread out before her, glowing in the fading sunset. She couldn't be numb to this. Some small voice inside her was screaming for her art supplies, some way to capture this, but she knew she would never be able to do the scene justice. Not even the little camera on her phone could hope to accurately portray what was before her. The little blonde could do little more but watch in wonder as the last of the daylight disappeared. The darker tones of twilight took over, bringing her back to reality. She didn't recall reaching the edge of the rooftop, but the top of the guard railing was clenched under her hands.

"Do you feel better?" Shizuo asked, drawing her attention. She didn't remember when he'd moved either, but he stood beside her, leaning his elbows on the guard rail. He looked so adorable, with that content smile, and the lollipop stick pressed between his lips. Anni couldn't find her voice, so she gave him a curt nod. This was all too much to process. After a minute spent gathering herself again, she started heading back towards the fire escape. Shizuo quietly followed on her tail.

It was as she was making her way down the third flight that Anni made her mistake. She'd pulled out her phone to check her call history, as she couldn't recall the last time she'd talked to her brother. She still hadn't told him about the thing in the warehouse, and was considering when she should make that call when she stumbled, expecting there to be one more step than there was. It was easy enough to catch herself, there was a railing right in front of her, but she caught the railing with her wrist. Her phone slipped from her hand and into the void. "No!" she cried out reflexively as it disappeared. Shizuo came up beside her to look out where her lifeline had fallen. "Alex is going to be SO mad when he can't contact me. Again" Anni mumbled dejectedly.

"You have his number memorized, right?" he asked, producing his cell from his pocket. "Call him and apologize."

"I can't. The phone that just met its unfortunate end is the only one that could contact him. Thanks for the offer though" Anni sighed before starting down again to check the damages.

"Why is that?" Shizuo asked as he followed, making Anni stop for a second.

"Because it's from the same universe I am. My home- I mean, the universe I'm from- rejects anything from this reality. A phone from here wouldn't be able to get a connection through the link" she explained, not really caring what secrets fell from her mouth now. Shizuo apparently didn't have anything to say to that, as he stayed quiet. "I'm an alien from another universe who knows the future!" Anni proclaimed as she reached the ladder and hopped down. "And I don't belong here" she added quietly.

"Don't say that" Shizuo instructed as he landed. Anni ignored him and set about searching for the pieces of her phone. The cracked screen, battery, and keypad were found, but the back cover must have vaporized on impact. The remains were dropped into the candy bag.

"Let's go."

-!DRRR!-

"I'll be back to take you home tomorrow after work" she promised, gripping Maya's hand.

"Thank you Mom" Maya said with a tired smile.

"Sleep well" she bid, kissing her daughter's forehead and leaving. Maya didn't think she would be able to get to sleep any time soon though. She was still dazed. Given the state she was in, she KNEW something important had happened, something terrible, but she couldn't for the life of her remember what. Supposedly, the last thing she could recall was a year ago, just after she moved into Ikebukuro with Caroline. What had happened in those months? Was her mind trying to protect her by forgetting, or had she just hit her head? Had someone drugged her to make her forget? No one had any answers, and it was frustrating.

She still had the feeling that she was missing something important, but every time she got close to grasping it, it slipped through her fingers. It was like a dream, flitting about on the edges of her mind to taunt her. Maya eventually fell into a fitful sleep after hours of searching her seemingly empty head.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	27. Soaking skink socks

Shizuo growled at whatever had woken him. He felt unreasonably cold on one side. Was that his alarm? What was it doing going off this early in the morning? Someone echoed his annoyance in a mumble as the incessant beeping was silenced. He sat up and pried his eyes open.

"Sorry to wake you" Anni whispered as she put the alarm clock back and made her way over to the box of clothes in the corner.

"Why's my alarm going off so damn early?" he muttered as he looked around his dark room. The sun hadn't even come up yet. Everything was where it usually was, save for the messy futon next to his, and Anni's box. She was picking a few select bits of cloth from the only thing she'd bothered to bring over last night.

"Because my phone is out of commission and I need an alarm to get to work on time. It's ok, go back to sleep" she instructed listlessly.

"'right." He pulled the blanket over his head as he lied back down. Wait, was there a second pillow here?

-!DRRR!-

"Morning" Anni's boss greeted from behind the register as she meandered in.

"Good morning" she replied, heading straight to the back.

"Hey, can you come here for a second?" he said, stopping her.

"Sure, what's going on?"

"Since Maya-san won't be coming in for a while, I need to do some rescheduling. Would you be able to cover the two o'clock shift?" he asked, leaning against the counter on his elbows.

"Sure. Put me in whatever time slot you need me. Oh, but be sure to let me know before I leave. I went and broke my phone again" Anni explained, earning her boss's sigh.

"Get a replacement soon then. I'm going to need you around here. Now go get ready for your shift" he said as he waved her off.

"Yes sir" Anni bowed and ducked into the back.

-!DRRR!-

Maya stared idly at the wall. She was awake, she knew that, but she felt lost. Her mind was blank. It felt like the emptiness that comes when you open your eyes for the first time after blacking out. There was no train of thought to pick up on. No emotion. Just a mild confusion mixed with a strange yearning to return to whatever darkness you'd just dragged yourself from. Nothing was happening. She let her eyes wander around her sterile white room. The bruises on her throat protested at her moving her head, but it was something. The small amount of pain reminded her that she was still alive. How had she ended up with bruises like that? What about the bruises on her wrists and ankles? Trying to recall brought no more answers than the night before. At least there was no one hovering around her asking her what she knew. No police or parents demanding to know who had hurt her like this. It was quiet, so Maya retreated into contented boredom.

-!DRRR!-

It had started raining by the time Anni got off work. There was nothing on her that would be damaged by a little water, so she stepped right out without grabbing an umbrella. A small voice in her head brought up the time she'd landed herself in the hospital with a fever, but she dismissed it. A walk in perfect health wouldn't bring the same fate down on her head. Well perfect physical health, anyway.

She decided to skip training today and just wander around on her own for a while, let the rain help clear her head while she worked on pulling herself back together. There would be no breakdowns like last time, she was stronger than that now. She'd learned. That worthless slime had taught her things Anni had never wanted to know about herself.

The drenched blonde was making her way through a residential area when she heard the guttural roar from a block away. There was no mistaking his voice, especially at that volume. "GET BACK HERE!"

"We've got a runner" Anni mused aloud as she started making her way towards the voice. There was a resounding *crash* of something landing up ahead. Her only option for getting closer was a thin side street that was bottlenecked at the end by a dumpster on one side, so she couldn't sprint out to see what was going on. She was strolling past the stink emitting can when a man rounded the corner at a dead run. Anni didn't think. Her leg came up on reflex, burying her knee in his gut just as he was about to plow her over. He fell to the ground with a grunt, wrapping his arms around his stomach. "You're not very intelligent, are you?" she asked on autopilot, still surprised by her own reactions.

"What was that-" the debtor started, hauling himself back to his feet with surprising speed. The rain drowned out most of the ambient noise, but Anni could make out the heavy footfalls of pursuit and the chatter of people dodging out the way. She ignored the frantic, irrational man and watched the exit of the side street for the oncoming storm. "-you little-" he continued, leaning over her with one arm still slung over his abdomen. He started to reach for her. Anni backed up a step, bumping into the dumpster.

Shizuo cleared the corner.

" _-bitch?!_ "

It was over in a fraction of a second. First, Shizuo recognized her. She could see the flick of surprise as it crossed his expression before he understood the situation. Then he slipped into rage. His eyes came alive with fury, and his lips twisted into a crazed smile. There was no glee there, only the grasp of his own brand of insanity. He didn't miss a step as he made the turn, cocking his arm back. The debtor saw him much too late, and remembered why he had been running. Shizuo's fist connected with the side of his face, and sent the unfortunate man zipping back the way Anni had come. He ended up embedded in the brick wall about twenty meters away.

Shizuo stayed where he was, huffing with the quickly fading adrenaline and fully soaking in the downpour. A small part of Anni was proud he had gotten that angry on her behalf. Another part scolded her for being the reason he had to get that angry again. In the end, all she could do was wait patiently for him to straighten up and look over at her.

"Good afternoon" she greeted with a comfortable smile, deeming it safe enough to take a step forward.

"You're soaked again" he observed.

"And you saved me again" she countered, grabbing his wrist. The dumpster wasn't pleasant, so she dragged him out onto the street he'd been chasing the debtor down. He was surprisingly pliable, despite his inherent strength.

"I need to head back to Tom-san" Shizuo objected, stopping on the sidewalk. He was suddenly immovable.

"Get going then. Tell him I said hi" Anni said, releasing him. She turned away, only to have her elbow caught.

"Hey. If you're not going to training, go home and dry off" he ordered.

"You're just as wet as I am" she retorted. A stubborn glare finally persuaded her. "Fine. I'll go finish packing up my junk. I'll see you tonight."

"Later" Shizuo said, patting her head once before trudging off. He looked like a drowned rat.

Anni changed into dry clothes and put her hair up in a towel once she got home, then set to work putting the rest of what she owned into boxes. She found it surprisingly easy, and was nearly done by seven. She simply didn't have much stuff. Almost nothing from home had survived her second day in Tokyo, and she hadn't really recovered since then. Aside from her art supplies and laptop, she had clothes, some kitchenware, and a few other odds and ends. She didn't even have much in the way of makeup or hair products. She'd bought some lipstick for special occasions a while ago…

While moving the last box from her room to the stacks near the door, she managed to overlook the box she'd left open near the kitchen when she got sick of wrapping fragile things. Her foot caught the lip, and in her attempt not to shatter all of the glasses she suddenly remembered were there, she sent herself sprawling. Her box of socks went spewing all over the living room floor and she landed hard on her left arm. The very same arm Shizuo had bruised when he held her back two days ago. Anni let out a muffled shriek of pain. She'd never been one to complain, but that HURT. She curled on her living room floor for a moment, reeling. A hammering on her door dragged her from her little bubble.

"Are you alright in there?" a male voice called. Anni levered herself to her feet. It must be one of the two guys that were living in the room next to hers. They were nice enough, though Anni never saw much of them.

"I'm fine" she squeaked. Since he had come to her door though, she might as well open it. The lesser known of the two neighbors stood in the hallway, a young man with unkempt black hair and dark brown eyes. Wait, wasn't he one of the people who'd been at the hospital to see Maya?

"What happened? I heard a scream."

"I'm fine, I just tripped and fell on my bad arm. Aren't you a friend of Maya's?" Anni asked, cradling said bad arm.

"You could say that. I'm her boyfriend. How do you…? Oh! You're Anni-san! I almost didn't recognize you" he greeted with an overly large smile. The extravagant grin seemed right at home on his expressionate face. He reminded her oddly of Masaomi.

"Nice to meet you, again. Aahh, you remember my name, but…" she sheepishly admired her doorframe.

"Amano Kaneki" he introduced, shaking her hand. "Oh, are you moving?" Kaneki invited himself in, pushing past her to see the stacks of boxes and sock-covered floor.

"I- yes, but you can't just-" Anni protested, watching as he snatched up a pair of her favorite knee-socks from the mess. They were black, with blue, fire-breathing dragons printed on them.

"Oooh! These are cool!"

"I know! They're also mine!" she asserted, stepping in to swipe the pair from his hands.

"You have awesome taste in socks" he admired, picking a set of rainbow striped socks from the pile next.

"Would you stop it?" Anni demanded, swiping that pair from his grip as well. She clutched her precious foot-coverings to her chest with both hands, protecting them from the thief.

"They're just socks!" Kaneki laughed at her. He plopped down to sit in the middle of the mess.

"You're just as bad as Maya!" Anni accused as she hunkered down to put the socks she'd saved into their box. Her guest started tossing pairs of socks at the box to help.

"Whatever" he sighed. They spent the next minute repacking the box. He made a little game of it, sometimes bouncing socks off of Anni to rebound into the 'basket'. Anni was forced to retrieve the few he missed. Kaneki stopped occasionally to admire a pair her particularly liked.

"If I find even one missing I'll make you into a sock-loving kebab" she threatened, sick of being used as a backboard.

"Ok! Ok, I won't take any" he relented. A pair of black knee-socks with skulls plastered all over them appeared from under his butt and were chucked into the box.

"Thief. I take it back. You're even worse than Maya."

"I'm not the one with a foot fetish" he countered with ease.

"I do not have a foot fetish!" Anni yelled back.

"Ah, hello" Kaneki said, completely ignoring her. He was instead looking over at the door Anni had left open in her haste to save her lucky-dragon socks. None other than Shizuo stood in the doorway with an umbrella hanging from one wrist. He looked more confused than anything.

"What's going on here?" he wondered. Kaneki answered before Anni could open her mouth.

"We're talking about Anni-chan's weird fetishes."

" _You lying skink_ " Anni shouted, throwing the skull socks at his face. They bounced off harmlessly, much to the little blonde's ire.

"So I can have these ones then? Thanks!" he chimed, picking the present up from where it had landed in his lap.

"Fine! Just get out of my house!" she said, pointing at the door.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Kaneki laughed. He hopped to his feet and sauntered out the door, waving at Shizuo as he passed.

"Obnoxious prying skink" Anni muttered, rubbing her eyes.

"What was that?" Shizuo asked, squatting beside her.

"Nothing, he just frustrates me" she answered, putting the final two pairs of socks in their home and folding the lid shut.

"Don't let 'em get to you. You have enough to worry about right now" he advised, picking the box up and putting on top of the shortest stack. "Is this all that's left?"

"Ya. I don't really have much. We can move it when it isn't raining" Anni offered as she stood. She made a point of pushing the box of glasses further into the kitchen before she left.

 **-A/N-**

 **I had fun with this chapters name. Skinks are adorable little lizards with long tails and stubby legs, so it's not all that much of an insult.**

 **Anyway, happy holidays. The next two chapters are probably going to come as a pair, because the one after this is mostly fluff and setup. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them.**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	28. Cooties

"Here you go, sister" Emilia said cheerfully, pushing the tray of breakfast onto Maya's lap.

"Thanks squirt" Maya gave the seven-year-old a hug before digging in. Instead of leaving, Emilia sat on the edge of the bed and let her big green eyes wander over her older half-sister's room. "Don't even think about touching anything" she warned.

"O-of course" the young girl agreed, her eyes wide and fearful.

"It's all covered in my cooties. You don't wanna be contaminated, do you?" Maya threatened with a smile. Emilia mirrored her smile and giggled.

"I'm not afraid of cooties!"

"You should be! They'll get you!" Maya reached out with wiggling fingers to tickle her sister, who shrieked and darted out the door. Maya would have been concerned, if the scream hadn't turned into excited giggling while she ran. She went back to her food in the quiet. Even being home, where she'd grown up, didn't do much to help her. She still felt empty. She felt lost. Nothing anyone else said or did over these past few days had helped that. Her physical injuries were healing, but not her mind. She was still stuck in the same rut of though. **What have I lost? What happened to me?** But she never found any answers. It didn't help that being locked up in her home didn't afford any of her friends to visit her. She only saw her family. Her parents had said she could go out and see them once she was healed, but she was quickly getting sick of sitting around and waiting. Maya NEEDED to get out and search for answers.

-!DRRR!-

Everything had turned out wonderfully. The lights around her sparkled attractively, drawing her further into the amusement park. After so long, they finally got to go on their date!

"Hey, wait up Trouble" Shizuo called, jogging up with cotton candy. **Since when does HE call me Trouble?** she wondered as she took her colorful pile of sugar, but dismissed it quickly. They walked around and talked for hours. She didn't know what they talked about, but she didn't care. She just enjoyed being around him, and seeing him smiling was more than enough. Even better, there were no screaming kids running around the park for some reason. Darkness fell quickly, so they found a good spot to watch the fireworks from. **How do they get the explosions to make hearts like that?**

It was then that her boyfriend decided to distract her, pulling on her chin to get her to turn towards him. To Anni's wonder, he cupped her face gently. His intent was clear by the expression he wore. He was going to kiss her, finally. Anni was faster than him though. Before he could move, she had her left hand up to his neck. Her hand moved on its own. Her blade found no resistance as it flashed across his throat. Everything bloomed red, much to both of their surprise. Shizuo fell backwards. Anni felt the impact as he hit the ground jolt through her own bones.

Everything went dark, but Anni wouldn't let that stop her. **I can still fix this! I'm no killer, I won't let him die!** she insisted, scrambling to get to where her precious guardian lay, which was surprisingly beside her. **I have to stop the bleeding first!** she thought as she clawed to get at his throat again.

"What're you-" he started. He must have lost a lot of blood already if he sounded that drowsy, this wasn't good. This wasn't good this wasn't good. Anni was about to scold him, to tell him how stupid he was for trying to talk when he could choke on his own blood when he grabbed her wrists and sat up. "You must've had another bad dream, right? It's ok, I've got you" he soothed as he pinned her in a hug.

"A dream?" Anni muttered in disbelief. It seemed to be true. The fingers that were pressed just below his neck were perfectly dry. The breath that stirred her hair was smooth and even. Her own breathing, however, was still hitched with her panic.

"You're safe here" he said into her hair as he nuzzled her head.

"Of course. Thank you" she said with a shaky sigh. She freed her arms to snake them around her savior. "Let's avoid amusements parks for a while" she mumbled. In one smooth movement, Shizuo laid back down, bringing Anni with him. After pulling the blanket over them, Anni was asleep in minutes.

-!DRRR!-

The sky was clear the next day, so Anni got to move most of her boxes into her new home after work. She had to wait for Shizuo to help her move some of the heavier ones, but they were done in one day. After a quick talk with her now former landlord, Anni was free of the place. All that was left was to unpack, and that could be done at her leisure.

-!DRRR!-

"I'm going back to Ikebukuro tomorrow" Maya announced. Her parents shared a look over the diner table.

"You still haven't recovered enough-" her father started.

"I'm not going to get any better if I don't get my memory back. I need to find out what happened that day" she argued.

"Sweetie, now isn't the time to be playing detective. The police are-" her father continued, sounding tired.

"But they haven't found anything. I need to go back and talk to my friends. I can't stay holed up here forever" Maya retorted.

"Maya-" her mother broke in with a warning tone.

"Don't baby me! I know you're worried, and I love being back home, but I can't stay like this! I can't stand feeling so empty. Please" Maya begged. Silence hung as her answer.

"I think big sister should be able to go" Emilia piped up. Her father sighed.

"You can go back to visit for the day, but I expect you home before nightfall."

-!DRRR!-

Anni very carefully clicked the little connector into place. Somehow, falling from over four stories hadn't damaged the port on the bottom of her phone. It had only occurred to her while she was working that she might still be able to send her brother an email. To her glee, she found she was able to connect to the internet from back home. She had no idea how long this would last, so she quickly opened her email and began typing. She was so absorbed in her laptop that she didn't notice Shizuo until he dropped the bag of food on the coffee table in front of her.

"Thanks" she mumbled as she finished typing and looked over her work to make sure it was coherent enough to read. As soon as she could she hit send, then carefully put her electronics aside and started unwrapping her food. Shizuo was already eating beside her.

"What was that?" he asked before taking another bite.

"An email for Alex. Apparently enough of my phone survived to let me connect to the internet." Anni started digging in. She hoped Alex would reply soon, if only so she knew he'd gotten her message. They ate in relative quiet.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	29. Hysterics

Maya suddenly felt uneasy. She had once been so sure that coming back here would bring her memories back, but she felt strangely alien standing in the doorway of the the two bedroom apartment she and Caroline shared. Some things were exactly how she remembered them, but some weren't. She couldn't put her finger on it either, but things had changed.

"Maya!" Caroline called as she came out of her room. She was still wiping the sleep from her eyes, but skipped up to her roommate anyway. "It's so good to see you! How are you doing?"

"I'm ok. I still don't remember anything" Maya admitted.

"That's fine, you'll get it back soon. Maybe if you do some of the things you did before you lost your memory it'll come back" she suggested.

"Maybe, but I can't exactly do those things if I've forgotten them, now can I?" Maya snapped back.

"That's why you have me. I can get someone to cover me anyway, I'll take you on a tour" Caroline offered smoothly, disappearing into her room. "Just wait a moment, and then we'll get going!"

They spent hours wandering around Ikebukuro, Caroline showing off all the places the two of them had gone to together before a few days ago. A few of the places looked more familiar than others, but none brought anything back. It only frustrated Maya more. Maya somehow kept her frustration to herself until noon.

"None of this is helping at all. Where did I spend most of my time? Who else did I hang out with?"

"You spent a lot of time at your work. Maybe going there will bring something back?"

"I got a job?"

Maya stalked unhappily into the manga shop, ignoring the protests of her many cuts and bruises. Caroline had stayed outside, saying something about this not being her 'kind of thing'.

"Hey Maya!" the boy behind the register called. His name tag read 'Riku'. He really looked familiar… All she could dredge up from her clouded mind was the word 'clutz'.

"Hey… Riku-san. What's going on?" Maya asked.

"You tell me! Where have you been these past couple days? And have you seen Anni-san?" he rambled on cheerily. There were no other customers in the shop at the moment, so he seemed free to talk all he wanted.

"Anni-san?" Maya asked, feeling something stir.

"Don't go asking me now! She's your friend. Anyway, I haven't seen her on morning shift for days, I was wondering if you both got booted to graveyard shift data input or something." Riku the clutz, as she had dubbed him in her head. He was always on the shift before her. He was a really sweet kid, and great with customers, but he never failed to make some mess just before Maya got in. Just recently, he'd toppled an entire table on his way out the door at 12:30 for her and Anni to clean up. "Hey, are you doing alright?" he asked, coming around the counter. "Where did all those bruises come from?" Maya pulled out her phone. The kidnapper. She'd been kidnapped, and he'd called Anni with HER phone.

"N-no, I'm not" Maya answered shakily, quickly pulling up her contacts list. Annibel Hael. She hit call and pressed the phone against the side of her face.

"The number you have dialed is no longer in servi-" a mechanical female voice reported before being cut off.

"NO!" Maya shouted at her phone before ending the call and trying again. He can't have gotten her.

"What's going-" Riku started.

"The number-" Maya shut her phone and started running out the door.

"May-" Caroline called after her as she zipped past. Her body protested at every movement, but she didn't care. She'd been the perfect bait. That shady asshole won! He had Anni! **No** Maya stopped that train of thought. **Anni's just at home, resting up from beating his ass so hard!** she insisted to herself as she sprinted to her friend's house. It all ran through her head. Leaving to meet up with Kaneki. Waking up in that ratty-smelling place. Her kidnapper's voice taunting her as he cut and hit her. Maya choked a sob as she ran. He'd claimed it was all just for the dramatic effect. He'd said he was saving the real fun for Anni. And then he'd called Anni, and then nothing. Maya had woken up in the hospital.

She finally reached the little complex. The air seemed too thick to breathe as she hauled herself up the stairs. Everything blurred before her, and she had to stumble by memory to Anni's door.

"Anni!" she yelled as she started banging on the door. "You stupid twerp! Get your ass out here!"

Silence.

"If you're just ignoring me, I swear I'm going to tell everyone all your stupid little secrets!" she shouted.

No answer.

"Anni…!" she choked.

The door to her left opened, admitting Kaneki's roommate, who looked like he was enduring a hangover.

"She's not there anymore. 'neki said something 'bout our neighbor leaving, so shut it already, would ya?" he grumbled. His door slipped shut, leaving Maya alone.

 **It's all my fault.**

Maya numbly lowered herself down the stairs.

 **That perverted asshole has her.**

She stumbled down the street to who-knows-where.

 **The proud Annibel Hael.**

Part of her registered the tears streaming down her face. That's probably what was getting her the odd looks.

 **What is he going to do to her? What has he done already?**

Maya spotted Shizuo walking down the sidewalk opposite her, and everything just stopped. He was carrying a Mcdonalds bag, smoking and strolling along calmly like nothing had happened. He probably didn't even know yet.

 **I need to tell him** Maya realized with horror. He would probably kill her when he found out what had happened to his girlfriend.

 **All because of me.**

Maya's legs moved without instruction. A car honked at her as she crossed the street without looking.

 **She sacrificed herself for me.**

"Heiwajima-san!" she called as she reached the sidewalk. He turned at the sound of his name.

 **She sacrificed herself for me.**

She stopped in front of him, shaking. "Maya? What are you doing-"

"I'm sorry!" she shouted, bowing.

 **He's going to kill me.**

"It's all my fault!" she started.

"What are you talking about?" He was clearly irritated.

 **He really has no clue.**

"That bastard took Anni, and it's all my fault!"

"What-"

"It's all my fault because I was stupid, and arrogant, and careless, and that twisted kidnapper got me-"

"-Maya-"

"-and he used me to catch Anni. She sacrificed herself for me, and now-"

"-would you listen-"

"-Anni's gone. She's gone and he's probably doing horrible-"

"-MAYA!" Shizuo boomed. Maya stopped dead and held onto her arms to try and stop the shaking. She didn't dare look up. "ANNI'S FINE!"

Maya's head snapped up, fearfully taking in the irritated man before her.

"She's in my apartment right now, setting up the replacement phone she bought this morning" he explained harshly, still fuming.

"But-"

"Just come with me. I'll show you" he grumbled, turning around. Maya followed silently, still in shock over the news. **What happened?** Shizuo lead her into an apartment complex and up the stairs, stopping before one of the doors. "Anni" he called as he unlocked the door. "You have company."

"Who?" came a reply from within. Maya wanted to shout for joy as she recognized Anni's voice. Shizuo slipped inside but left the door open. Maya couldn't move. She couldn't see much inside, but she could hear the rustling of a paper bag. Then Anni poked her head around the door, half of a fry hanging out of her mouth. It was so comical it made Maya want to cry. "Maya!" Anni cheered.

"You're really ok" she observed through a dry throat.

"I'm pretty ok. How are you? Do you remember-" Anni asked, slipping outside and closing the door behind herself. The remainder of her snack was quickly eaten.

"I remember everything" Maya said. "What else happened? After he called you?"

"Ah. Alright, hold on a moment" Anni instructed, darting back inside for a moment. She came back with a full container of fries. "Come on. We can find somewhere else to talk."

They ended up sitting on a railing on a nearby sidewalk, sharing the fries. "Please Anni, I need to know."

"Of course. Well… after I got the call, I stuffed my knife in my sock and headed straight over. When I got there, he patted me down but didn't find it. We exchanged some banter yadda yadda, then he lead me up to where he had you. I…. well…" Anni stuffed more fries in her face.

"Banter? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm dealing with it however I can! It's better than saying I nearly beat the bastard to death!" Anni refuted. Maya had no response to that. A biker rode past, breaking the silence. Anni only continued once he was gone. "When I saw what he'd done to you, I lost it and blacked out. I only came to after Shizuo had stopped me." She rolled up a sleeve to show off the finger-shaped bruises on her arm. "We took you to the nearest hospital and went home. That's it."

"And what about you dropping off the face of the planet?" Maya asked. She had intended for the remark to bite with venom, but she just couldn't find the energy.

"What?" Anni seemed genuinely confused.

"Your phone being out of service, not showing up to work, MOVING. Were you TRYING to run away from me?" Maya ranted, finding some anger she could draw on. She watched Anni's face twist with more horror at every word.

" _Oh shit no!_ The phone I broke by accident, and I was rescheduled to deal with you not being able to come in. I only moved back in with Shizuo because I didn't want to have any more nightmares! I would never run away from you!" the little blonde asserted. Silence fell around them again. They made a strange pair, with Anni's bruised arm, and Maya's face streaked with drying tears. What was left of the fries sat in Anni's hand between them. Then Maya started giggling. "What…?" Anni asked in confusion, a smile ghosting across her face on reflex.

"It's just…" Maya started, only to be seized by hearty laughter. "...you… and the..." was all she could get out before she doubled over in breathless chuckles.

"It's stupid, isn't it?" Anni giggled. And she didn't stop. It kept getting worse until she and Maya were falling off the railing, clinging to each other for dear life as they laughed their lungs out. Tears ran from the corners of their eyes until they had to stop to breathe. Then they looked at each other and the hysterics started anew.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	30. Scattered memories

-!December 5th!-

"The number you have dialed is no longer in service-" the mechanical female voice rattled off.

" _God freaking dammit Anni. You went and broke your phone AGAIN_ " Alex snarled over the voice. He angrily shoved his phone back into his pocket. That was probably why he hadn't heard from her in nearly a week. He'd been so busy these past few days he hadn't even noticed. He did not have the money right now to both buy her a replacement and fly back out to give it to her, as he'd already spent enough on Christmas shopping and his last round trip ticket.

"Mrrrweeeewr" Athena squeaked in protest. The black runt of a cat was on her back underneath the much larger Bruce, struggling to find any claw-hold that would get her an advantage.

" _Play nice, Bruce_ " Alex scolded, scruffing the cat and carting him off to his favorite chair. " _She's still just a kitten._ " As soon as Alex had released him, Bruce jumped off the chair and sauntered off. Alex stomped over to his swivel chair and plopped down, so he could spin and glare at the whole world. He finally stopped facing his computer setup. " _She's still just a kitten_ " he muttered again. As if on cue, Athena jumped up into his lap. Alex picked her up and held her over his head so he could lean back and watch her. He started spinning slowly, watching the cats head turn curiously as she looked around. " _But she has a big bad Bruce to protect her! She'll be just fine_ " he told the juvenile.

"Mrew" Athena replied, starting to squirm. Alex lowered her down to cuddle into his chest.

" _Dammit Annibel_ " he growled. It only took a few minutes of head-rubbing before Athena's purr trailed off into sleep. With his left hand occupied as a cat pillow, Alex turned his computer on and went on his usual circuit of social media and email before he started up any games. It had been a few days since he'd last been on, so a few people had actually tried to get in touch with him that he needed to respond to. A good hour had passed before he finally opened his email. There he found a message from his sister, dated two days ago. 'I'm sorry' the subject line read. " _OH you better be, Annibel Elizabeth Hael. Now did you break it to make a point again, or are you just being a klutz as usual?_ " he laughed, sarcasm and venom seeping through his tone. He opened her message as his glare drilled holes into the screen.

'First things first, I'm fine right now, and everything turned out alright in the end. I still don't really know about Maya, but hopefully I'll be able to maintain an internet connection and keep you up to date' her message started.

" _Oh for the love of-! What mess did you get yourself into now, Trouble?_ " Alex asked with a resigned sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his eyes. After reading through her explanation, he sent her a response that had her flinching away from her computer screen.

-!December 8th!-

It started with a simple picnic. Shizuo brought a blanket to spread out over the grass, so they could sit and admire the pond while they ate. Once the food was polished off, Shizuo sprawled out to bask in the sunlight. Anni, despite being intensely aware that she was wearing a skirt instead of pants, made her lap his pillow. From there, she was in the perfect position to cradle his head and play with his hair, which he didn't seem to mind in the least. He just closed his eyes and wore his soft, contented smile.

Anni had discovered rather quickly just how careful he was when it came to displays of affection. He rarely reached out to her on his own, but he never pulled away from her either. It felt strange to her, to have to be the one to start everything. It wasn't much of a bother though. After falling asleep in his arms a few times, she'd gotten used to the idea of being close to him, and needing to be the one to request such things was no far stretch.

Anni smiled down at her precious guardian. While he was so relaxed, with his eyes closed, he certainly looked like he was living up to his name. A quiet hero. She turned her gaze out to the gleaming pond. It didn't really qualify as the 'peaceful island' that made up his surname, but it was close enough, right?

When Anni got tired of sitting still, she started poking her boyfriend's nose until he opened his eyes.

"Let's get moving" she suggested with a playful giggle. With Shizuo's approval, they got up and headed out. After dropping the blanket off at home, they just went strolling around the city. Anni was all too happy to tour Ikebukuro while holding her guardian's hand.

A quick stop at a candy shop was followed by watching another sunset from the rooftop Shizuo had taken her to last week. With everything that had happened in those few days, Anni felt like an entirely different person from the last time. It felt strange to come here again with such a different atmosphere.

Darkness fell, so the pair retreated back down the fire escape and started the walk to the restaurant Shizuo had made reservations for. It was rather fancy, and Anni felt out of place with her plane skirt and blouse. The only thing that made it better was standing beside someone who looked more like staff than a customer. She wasn't alone in her oddity, at least. Neither one of them would have been comfortable in that environment normally, but being there together set them both at ease.

The food was wonderful. It was hard to chose a dish at first, but she was very happy with what she decided on. Shizuo seemed to enjoy his serving as well, though Anni got the distinct impression he didn't pay much attention to it.

A few drinks and a split bill later, the couple headed back home. There, they changed into their sleepwear and set about the final part of their date; movie night. It started with Shizuo's favorite of Kasuka's movies, and moved on to the rest of Kasuka's films once Anni admitted she hadn't seen any of them. They made it to 4am before eyelids became too heavy and they were forced to give up cuddling in favor of sleep. Their day started with a picnic and ended as they drifted off in each other's arms.

-!December 25th!-

"You've got a package" Shizuo announced as he came back inside. Anni peeked her head out of their room with still bleary eyes.

"From Alex?" she guessed as she stumbled out in her favorite pajamas. Instead of answering, he handed her the cardboard box. "How in the world did he get this here?" she muttered as she fell on the couch a little too hard. She had been so antsy and excited last night too. His little blonde could be surprisingly childish sometimes.

"What is it?" he asked as he hovered over her.

"I won't know until I open it. Knowing my brother, it could be just about anything" she explained as she tore off the packing tape. Inside was a christmas wrapped box, surrounded by crumpled paper so it wouldn't rattle around. Taped to the top of present was an envelope labeled ' _Trouble_ '.

" _Trouble?_ What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's what he calls me when he's cross with me. I'm almost afraid to open it" Anni said, peeling off the tape and eyeing it like it would bite her.

"What's the point if you don't open it? It's a Christmas present, isn't it?" Shizuo took his spot next to her in hopes of reading whatever was inside the strange envelope.

"Here goes" she sighed, tearing open the top and pulling out a folded paper. Out of the paper fell a tiny plastic bag, filled with what looked like red and green glitter. The paper itself only had a line of writing in english, and two vertical red lines drawn under it.

"What does it say?" he asked, picking up the sealed glitter baggie from where it had landed on his leg.

"'Three strikes and you're out'" Anni recounted. "He's threatening to glitterbomb me. I wonder what I've done to get two strikes already" she mused as she set the paper aside and pulled out the gift.

"Just make sure you don't get 'glitterbombed' in the house" Shizuo sighed, dropping the baggie back into the box. "I don't even want to think about how irritating that would be to get rid of."

"I'll try" she laughed. With a few quick rips, the wrapping paper was tossed aside to reveal the logo for some smartphone or other. Shizuo didn't care enough to know the differences between the fragile little things. As soon as Anni recognized the plastic sealed gift, she broke out laughing. "I see! I'm never allowed to break my phone again, or my brother will restart the prank wars from a universe away."

-!January 28th!-

Shizuo wasn't in the best of moods today. He trudged around Ikebukuro looking for something or someone to cheer him up. He hadn't seen anyone else he knew all day. Simon wasn't out in front of Russia Sushi. Having the day off of work, he hadn't seen Tom either. Even Anni had left to spend the night with Maya yesterday, and he hadn't heard from her since. Shizuo was even considering tolerating Shinra, if only so he wouldn't spend today alone. The highlight of his day so far had been when Kasuka had called him around noon to wish him a happy birthday.

He eventually gave up his search and decided to just go home.

He was standing outside his building when he noticed something was off. Anni's friend, Maya, was hanging around as well, doing something on her phone. "Hey Shizuo-san! Would you care to join me for a little bit?" she called as she saw him. After another moment spent playing with her phone, she tucked it away into her purse.

"What are you doing hanging out here?" he asked as he drifted over, deciding he could spare a few minutes of his time for her. So long as she didn't stand there and ignore him in favor of her phone, that is.

"I'm just waiting for Anni" she answered quickly. "We… had to split up for a bit this morning, so she agreed to meet back up here."

"I gotcha. Later then" Shizuo said with a wave, walking past her.

"Hold on!" Maya called out, making him stop.

"Did ya need something else?"

"I just don't want to wait alone. Could you stay with me until Anni gets here?"

"Fine. I'll stick around for a little bit" he agreed, scratching the back of his neck. Maya wasn't his first choice, but at least he wouldn't be spending his birthday entirely alone.

"Thank you" she said, smiling. Then her phone went off. Shizuo begrudgingly watched as she dug it out of her purse. "Oh, nevermind. Anni… ditched me. I'll be off then. See ya!"

"See ya" Shizuo answered as Maya went skipping off. "That doesn't sound very much like Anni though" he mused before heading upstairs.

He found his door was left unlocked. That set him on edge immediately. Anni always remembered to lock the door, and he was sure he'd done the same when he left this morning. He couldn't hear anything inside, so he eased the door open.

"Surprise!" came a chorus of familiar voices. Brightly colored confetti was tossed in his direction.

"Happy birthday!" read the PDA held in his direction. Celty, Tom, Shinra, and Anni stood in a line, just inside his apartment. **What the hell is this?** he thought in stunned silence, his hand still locked around the doorknob.

"Get in here already" Anni sighed, dragging him forward by his elbow so she could close the door behind him. His apartment had colored streamers strung up everywhere. The coffee table was taken over by one large present, complete with bow.

"Happy birthday bud" Tom greeted, stepping forward to pat Shizuo's shoulder.

"Who set this up?" Shizuo asked, still reeling.

"No one in particular" Anni chirped before Tom could answer. "It was a group effort!" With that she darted past to start setting a cake on fire in the kitchen. In her place, Celty came forward, typing.

"I don't know about your other friend, but it was Anni who told me to come today." After he'd read that much, she added another line. "She said I had to 'transport' myself and Shinra here for a special event."

"I see" he chuckled. "Thank you everyone! I really appreciate you all coming."

"It's party time!" Shinra chimed, swooping up with the burning cake.

"Make a wish!" someone called.

-!February 5th!-

Mikado smiled as he waved his goodbye. Sonohara disappeared all too quickly, lost in the crowd on her way home. He was left on his own to brood his way back to his little apartment. The end of the semester was fast approaching. Life had gone back to normal after everything that had happened nearly half a year ago. It was hard to understand how little those drastic, insane events had changed his everyday. He lost himself for a moment in thought as he walked, reflecting on the past excitement. Because he wasn't paying attention, he didn't hear the people who came charging up from behind him. He almost fell then when the three men pushed him out of their way as they dashed past.

"Hurry up, or their sacrifice will be in vain!" one of the running trio exclaimed. The group's footsteps quickly faded as they turned into a dark side street. Now that he was paying more attention, he heard the sounds of fighting coming from behind him, where the trio must have come from. To Mikado's horror, he saw and heard two different things at once. A newspaper kiosk came skidding across the street from a cross street a ways back, where the fight supposedly was, and a feminine shriek was clipped short from the side street the trio had taken. He made a split second decision. He had no idea what was going on, but whoever had screamed probably needed help, and since there was no one else around but him…

He started running after the three men who'd nearly bowled him over. Down the street they'd taken and around the corner, he found them. Two of them were trying to pick up a limp girl between them, while the third seemed to be hurriedly making a call. The girl herself looked familiar, but Mikado didn't have time to try and place where'd he'd seen her before, she was being kidnapped!

"Wait!" he yelled without thinking. The men seemed to pause, but only for a moment.

"Get lost kid, this's got nothing to do with you" the man on the phone ordered.

"Why are you doing this?" Mikado demanded.

"I said get out of here! We don't have time to deal with a pipsqueak like you. If we don't get moving-" The man on his phone was cut off by a crash. The kiosk Mikado had seen earlier had just sailed through the air where two of the kidnappers heads had been. If they hadn't both immediately dropped the girl and fallen on their backsides, there was no doubt they wouldn't be conscious anymore. They scrambled up and away together. The one who had been attempting to make a phone call gave up everything and started running the other way, right on the tail of his two comrades.

"You don't get to run away!" a voice behind Mikado proclaimed. Mikado turned in time to see Heiwajima Shizuo wrench a nearby speed limit sign from the ground before charging after them. Mikado felt the air whip by as the bartender passed him and caught up with his prey, somehow not stepping on the unconscious girl in the middle of the street. In his wake, Mikado rushed to her side.

"Wake up! We need to get out of here" he instructed, shaking her by a shoulder. She only groaned at him in response. Farther down the street, the two men who had been trying to carry the girl off were batted into a wall by the street sign. They rebounded off the wall in sync, making one large thud as they crumpled to the ground. The third man skidded to a stop, with Shizuo now in front of him, and started running back towards Mikado. She wasn't about to wake up and run away from this now, so Mikado slung one of her arms around the back of his neck so he could try and carry her out of harm's way.

There was a metallic twang, calling him to look up again. The last man went soaring over his head, coming to a rolling stop in the street behind him. Mikado was left staring down the furious bartender, and he couldn't pull the mostly unconscious girl to her feet. He watched in terror as Shizuo raised the speed limit sign above his head and threw it like a javelin. Somehow, he managed to dodge to the side, letting the projectile zip past where his head had been less than a second ago. The girl fell in his absence, growling as she hit the ground. "Heiwajima-san! It's not-" Mikado started, quickly standing.

"Shut up!" Shizuo snarled in response, cutting him off. "The type of scum who resort to kidnapping girls because you have a problem with ME don't get to talk!" The bartender started to quickly close the distance between them. Mikado stood frozen. Every part of him was screaming that he should run, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He couldn't leave that girl alone here. So he closed his eyes and braced himself for whatever was coming. He waited. A wayward breeze stirred his hair.

And nothing happened.

Mikado experimentally opened one eye. He couldn't wrap his head around what he saw at first, so he took a step back. Shizuo's fist hovered just beside where Mikado's ear had been. The girl he had been trying to save stood between them, her arms spread out, and Shizuo's arm passing just over her shoulder. What had just happened? Mikado wouldn't go so far as to call himself an expert on the bartender, but he had never known the man to miss, so long as his target wasn't Izaya. So what had happened now, that he would miss someone who wasn't moving?

"The kid is innocent" the girl explained flatly.

"Alright" Shizuo said as he withdrew his arm. He then wound that arm around the girl's waist as she let her arms fall and staggered into him, letting him catch her weight.

"Why…" Mikado wondered aloud, drawing their attention. "Why would you risk yourself for me?"

"You were trying to save me, right?" she asked in return, twisting in place and leaning against Shizuo like it was the most comfortable place in the world. "I was just returning the favor."

"We need to get going" Shizuo reminded.

"Wait a minute" Mikado begged. He quickly bowed to the girl still locked in Shizuo's hold. "Thank you for saving me."

"Don't mention it. Realy. I'm nothing special, so just forget about me, ok? You'll be better off for it" she asserted. With that much, the two walked off. Mikado was left there to wonder about the whole situation for a minute before finally finishing his walk home.

-!March 23rd!-

Anni was trapped. Shizuo's arms were locked around her torso, keeping her back pressed firmly against his chest. His breath tickled her neck as he slept. She had no intention of waking him, but the bathroom was a whole room over, and she couldn't move. So Anni wiggled her toes. She tried to remember what she'd been dreaming about last night. She did anything but listen to her bladder's complaints. **What a way to start my birthday.**

While it wasn't uncommon for them to fall asleep cuddling like this, it was rare to wake in such positions. Anni was simply too mobile in her sleep, and usually woke up with only a foot hooked on his ankle, or a hand on his arm. Maybe he'd had her pinned like this all night. Time seemed to crawl along at a snail's pace, but eventually her guardian began to stir.

"Mornin'" he mumbled at the back of her neck.

"Good morning sleepy head. Can I get up real quick?" Anni requested, pulling at one of his arms.

"Hmmm? Oh, 'course" Shizuo agreed drowsily, releasing her. In a matter of seconds, she had freed herself from the blankets and made the hasty dash across the little hall. The moment she closed the door behind herself, Anni heard her phone start ringing from the other room. Grumbling a curse, she ignored it and went about her business.

She came back to find Shizuo sitting on the futon with her phone pressed against his ear. As soon as she opened the door, he shot her a glare to root her in place. Whenever he didn't have them covered with his sunglasses, it was painfully obvious how expressionate his eyes were. They were also especially good at displaying irritation. "No, she never really mentioned it" he growled. After a moment's pause, he added "Tell her yourself." Without sparing her an instant from his glare, Shizuo stood to offer Anni her phone.

"Hello?" the little blonde asked hesitantly.

"You went and dug yourself quite a hole, eh birthday girl?" Alex asked with a taunting lilt.

"What?" she asked in return, watching as her boyfriend retreated back to bed. Anni took her call out into the livingroom.

"Were you trying to keep your special day a secret from him, or are you just that much of a ditz? How long have you been dating again? For shame."

"I'm no ditz, I just haven't thought to mention it, that's all. Am I a horrible person for that?" she asked as she plopped into her favorite cushion.

"Only a little. If I do recall, correct me if I'm wrong, he didn't tell you when his birthday was either, right?" he laughed through her whining.

"That hardly counts. I already knew when-"

"Double standards, little miss equality?" Alex asked, cutting her off. "It's hardly fair to hold him to-"

"Don't give me that spiel" Anni growled in return, crossing her legs on the couch.

"Then don't beat yourself up over being a forgetful little twerp! It's your day! Find some way to enjoy it, Little Anni. Oh, and I almost forgot. Since I didn't expect your better half, who is still far more handsome than yourself, to pick up your phone instead, you never got to hear this." Her brother then took a moment to sing her the entirety of the birthday song in a horrible key. Anni could only smile and enjoy the minute of blissful torture.

"You still can't sing, dork. Thank you."

"Any time! Go have yourself an awesome day. Enjoy your peace, while it still lasts of course" he bid with a chuckle, hanging up on her before she could respond.

Still smirking at her brother's small insight, Anni got up and headed back to the room she and her boyfriend shared. She had hoped to be able to climb under the covers and go back to snuggling him, but he was mostly dressed when she opened the door. He did up the last button of his shirt and was reaching for his vest when he saw her. A small part of Anni wished she had decided to barge in a little bit earlier.

"I'm heading out for a bit" Shizuo informed her.

"Sure. Before you go though, I'm sorry-"

"Don't start apologizing now" he sighed. With his vest on, he pushed past her and out the door, ruffling her hair along the way. Then he was gone.

It was far too lonely to stick around an empty apartment today of all days, so Anni decided to follow her brother's advice for once. She was going to go out and make her own day awesome. Once she'd taken care of herself, she was off on her own as well. Icecream for breakfast and a some time to meander about and think made for a wonderful contrast to her everyday. Between work, training, Maya and Shizuo, Anni never really had much time to herself anymore. Maybe spending her birthday on her own was just what she needed.

Her meandering left her on an overpass above some train tracks. She leaned a little over the railing and decided on a whim to wait around for a train to roll by. It was a nice day anyway. The sun was out, and there was only a small breeze. It was much too peaceful. With the chaos that would take over the city soon…

Her phone decided to take that moment and start going off, playing the tone she had set for texts. Anni growled softly in response and considered ignoring it. It was her day. She was supposed to do what she wanted, right? But it might also be someone trying to tell her something important. She begrudgingly pulled out her leash.

'Where did you go?' Shizuo asked. A variety of excuses and sarcastic responses came to mind, but her only real option was to regale him with a description of her location. Once she'd sent her response, she went back to her patient brooding. Wait, was it really brooding? She was just enjoying time by herself. It had nothing to do with no one else being around. Maya and her skink of a boyfriend didn't know anything about today anyway. Alex had called her and everything! She was still loved. The train she had been waiting for started to rattle on it's rails up from behind her, rewarding her patience. Anni had no reason to brood, right?

Something colorful suddenly appeared in front of her face, making her blink. It was an orange flower. Was that… a daylily? It certainly smelled like one. Anni traced the source of the flower to her side, where Shizuo stood, offering it to her. "Thank you" she said with reverence as she accepted the present, in awe that he would bring her such a thing. It seemed far more beautiful than it should, considering she'd grown up around these flowers.

"Happy birthday" Shizuo offered, bringing her attention back. "It's no surprise party, but I hope-"

"It's wonderful" Anni interrupted. She twirled the stem slowly between her fingers as the train rumbled closer. Somehow, she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that he had gotten her something so perfect, then hunted her down to give it to her. "How did-" she started, stopping in the middle as her boyfriend did something she hadn't expected. He placed a finger under her chin to direct her face back up from admiring her flower.

Anni would claim that she had become a bit of an expert with it came to her guardian's expressions, partly out of concern for her own safety, but now she had no idea what he was thinking. His face was so calm as the be completely unreadable.

Later, the little blonde would swear her heart was doing backflips as Shizuo leaned in. She would adamantly assert that the freight train rumbling by underneath her was the only reason her knees felt weak. She would insist that it was impossible for the forte of Ikebukuro to have lips that soft. Then she would gloss over the part where she lept forward to steal more kisses the moment he pulled away.

 **-A/N-**

 **I'm terribly sorry I've been away so long. It took me a while to finally put this one together. I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **On another note, this is the last chapter before we start with the events of x2 Shou. Once I start writing there, I should be able to get chapters out more quickly. Anni will be much more involved in the events of second season, so I'll have a lot of guidelines to write with. Until then, take care!**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	31. Durarara x2

Anni was out enjoying the night air by herself. It wasn't particularly late, and she'd gotten quite a bit better in her training over the past few months. She still always kept her blade with her, and so was comfortable enough to stroll around the city until Shizuo got off work. There was a secondary motive for her being out and about though. Any day now, she knew the plot of second season would start, and she was excited. There was no way she was going to be able to keep her nose out of it, but she didn't care. Anni couldn't tell if it was confidence or arrogance, but she felt like she could be involved without changing the story she loved for the worse. She felt like she could make the right choices. Even if she did mess up, this universe probably balanced itself out to counteract her influence, like Maya said. If she hadn't changed anything so far, it had to be true! That's was her reasoning, anyway.

Hands stuffed in her pockets and a smile plastered on her face, the little blonde sauntered through town, window shopping and people watching. This had become routine for her over the past week. Her anticipation never abated though, it only grew. Even Shizuo had noticed her strange behaviour. When he asked, she made the safest call she could, which was to outright tell him it was because of one of her many secrets, and that he shouldn't be worried about her. He had accepted that much, though he'd probably figured out enough to know things were going to start up again. She wasn't concerned about him though. The one thing that actually worried her was how much Izaya trusted the information Alex had given him. When those forecasts started coming true, would he prepare for the others, or assume it was all still false?

A reflective glance up at the moon brought Anni's attention to a large, black something forming on one of the buildings nearby. **It begins again!** she cheered with a smirk. Celty launched the glider away, sending it to circle over Ikebukuro. Anni went skipping on as it disappeared from sight, patiently awaiting the-

"-Damned petty thieves!" Shizuo shouted. His curse was immediately followed by a ringing impact as the bench sent Ruri flying, and knocked Egor out. His girlfriend caught only a glimpse of the fully costumed Hollywood over the buildings. Humming softly to herself, Anni made her way towards the commotion.

Sadly, she found that she was too late. The bench lay discarded, there was a small trail of blood, and no other signs anything had happened. The only other evidence she could find was a single forgotten bank note trapped under the bench. After retrieving it, she went back to wandering for a bit. The extent of what she could be involved in for tonight was over, and she simply hadn't been in the right places to fully enjoy it.

Once she finally returned home, Anni took over the couch with her long forgotten sketchpad to avoid messing around in Kanra's chat room. Instead of adding to it, she simply flipped through what she'd already done, checking if there was anything she could add or improve on. A few pages in, she ran across an old sketch she'd never finished. Four people stood together, with Anni and Alex being the only recognisable figures. The two taller figures standing behind them had little detail yet, with their only distinguishing features being long hair, held back in ponytails. For some reason or another, the little blonde regarding her work couldn't bring herself to finish it. The original intent in starting the project had been to remember everything she needed clearly without reference. Herself and her brother had been so easy, but her parents-

She snapped the book shut and flung it away. Pages crinkled in the air and the corner of the drawing pad made a small *thump* as it spun into the wall. At least it didn't hit anything important. That might have warped the spine though, or left a dent in the wall. **Why did I do that anyway?** Anni wondered as she went to retrieve the book she had abused. The train of thought ended there. She tweaked the metal rings that functioned as its spine back into shape and put the book away.

Thankfully, the door opened just as she fell back into the couch, preventing her from wondering more about her actions. "Welcome home" Anni cheered, picking up the one bank note she had rescued as she stood back up. "I've got a present."

"What's this now?" Shizuo asked as he slipped out of his shoes.

"It was left behind in the park from the…"

"Ah, I got it. I'll get it to Tom-san tomorrow" he agreed, tucking it into his wallet. "Is that part of what you've been so excited about?"

"...Yes" Anni admitted. Her boyfriend's socks were suddenly very interesting.

"Stop moping" he ordered simply. He then guided his little blonde back to the couch by her shoulders.

"I'm not moping, I was just-"

"You were moping, now cut it out" he growled back. In a movement Anni still hadn't quite gotten used to, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Yes sir" she agreed weakly, sitting down. Something about the way he gave her his rare displays of affection stunned her. Sometimes it just left her in awe. She felt overpowered by it.

"Good" he said, taking his spot beside her and ruffling her hair.

-!DRRR!-

"No way. You're the one who would end up on the floor and you know it" Maya teased, leaning close to his face provocatively.

"Oh, you want me on the floor?" Kaneki countered easily, stealing a kiss before she could flinch away.

"Only if you're all tied up" she continued, giving him that sly, knowing smile that always drove him nuts. "And besides, it's not like my bestie would let you lay a hand on me" Maya dismissed, pulling him by his wrist to start walking again. They were between locations on yet another date, putting off deciding their next location as they walked. A disagreement over if karaoke was worth it had started this little argument.

"This wouldn't include her at all! The point is I would win in a hand to hand match, you can't just bring in reinforcements-"

" _Sup!_ " someone called. A flash of yellow hair spun by, throwing a smile at Maya as it continued its mad dash.

"Anni!" Maya called in response. They both started running as one, quickly making pace with the tired girl.

"No! I didn't want YOU to follow me _Skink_ " she shot at him breathlessly.

"You'll have to do better than that then _Tweetie_ " he replied. He couldn't help but grin as she recoiled at the name he'd given her months ago. Messing with her was far too easy.

"Would you freaking drop the-"

"-So why are we running Anni?" Maya asked.

"More like jogging now" Kaneki corrected.

"Shut your face _Skink_! I've been running since I got out of training, cut me some slack" the little blonde huffed.

"And where per se are we running to?" Maya asked, taking up running backwards in front of her 'bestie' in a taunt. That casually teasing side of her was one of the many things he loved about his dear Maya. Anni didn't respond at all to the gesture.

"The underpass just over…" she started, falling off as she tried to catch her breath. They rounded a corner and an underpass did come into view. There was something going on though. As they stopped, what looked like the legendary black biker stopped just under the overpass and spread- were those living shadows?- in a web throughout the little tunnel.

"Anni! Anni is this another-" Maya started, excitement ringing through her voice.

"Yes, this is as far as you go Maya" Anni answered harshly, though he couldn't tell if it was intentional or a side effect of her trying to breathe. He was about to add something more when little Tweetie started running again. As he made to follow, Maya snatched his arm.

"She was serious 'Neki. We can watch from here" his girlfriend instructed, her eyes sharp as they followed Anni.

"Oh come on. I'll-"

"No. She knows this is dangerous, and I trust her judgment here. Don't question it" Maya explained. "Or do you want to chase your little _Tweetie_ " she asked with a venom he'd gotten too used to.

"You know she would rather ask her precious boy to make me a pancake than endure my jokes" Kaneki wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her head. "I'm just sorry we don't have snacks to go with our movie." A van came screeching its tires in a U-turn right next to them, but Kaneki didn't pay much attention to it.

"Psh" Maya responded, never letting her eyes leave the scene as Anni finally made it to the brawl that had broken out. She jumped right into the fray beside the black biker as a new mob of bikers blew past Kaneki and Maya. Having never seen Anni fight before, Kaneki had to admit he was mildly impressed. It was clear she was tired, but the few bikers who came at her were put on the ground one by one. A few landed glancing blows from what he could see, but the dancing girl hardly flinched.

"Damn. Remind me to never actually piss her off" he muttered. "Doesn't she carry a knife too? Why isn't she using it?" he continued, keeping his voice soft so he could still hear the commotion. Maya shrugged. "Awww, is our big bad Anni holding back so she doesn't hurt anyone?"

"Maybe. After the thing… she's always been so careful" his precious Maya explained, her tone solemn. As they watched, two others started running up to the underpass, along the sidewalk. One was a rather well endowed high school girl in black, and the other was a younger looking boy with a bag slung over his shoulder. They only got to look over the railing for a few moments while the black biker seemed to socialize with Anni and two others who had appeared. Then he hopped back onto his bike. In a rush, Anni was grabbed by shadows and tied into the sidecar. As the biker starting riding off towards them, taking the shadow web with him, another shadow reached out and snatched up the well endowed girl as well, strapping her to the biker's back. The trio zipped past Kaneki and his girlfriend silently.

"Holy shit!" Kaneki said as he watched them go. **What were those shadows? Was the black biker really controlling them?**

"So this is part of the story that twerp loved so much" Maya whispered. Her voice was almost drowned out by the fight still going on, and the van that went past them yet again, in the other direction this time.

"Huh? What story?" he wondered aloud.

"Spoilers" Maya quipped back at him.

-!DRRR!-

Tom was strolling along when he heard someone call his name. He turned to find Anni jogging up to him, smiling gleefully despite looking like she'd just been in a fight.

"Anni? What happened to you?" he asked, carefully containing his surprise. She didn't seem to be in distress at all, so he probably shouldn't overreact.

"Nothing much, I just took a hit or two helping out a friend of mine. Do you mind if I join you for a little bit?" the strange girl asked as she strolled past him in the direction he'd been heading. What was with her today? He'd always gotten the feeling that she was a bit odd, especially because she accepted Shizuo so easily, but this was more than he suspected. He matched pace with her.

"I don't see any problem with that, but I can't let you actually come collecting with us."

"That's fine. I just wanted to see Shizuo for a minute, and let him know what's going on" Anni explained, giving him another bright grin.

"That's fine then" Tom said, returning her smile. "He should be back with coffee in a few minutes."

"Thank you" she sang as they turned a corner. On the side of the street were a group of motorcyclists in white, tiger striped coats.

"Hey, let me ask you something!" one of the group shouted at them. He was quickly cut off by another of the four, however.

"Hey, aren't you the chick from just a minute ago?" came the accusation.

"Ya, it is!" another confirmed. Two of the little mob started standing, pulling out metal pipes. Tom needed to diffuse this quickly.

"You guys are Toramaru of Saitama, right? I've heard your leader is a real ladies man-"

"Screw that! This little bitch-" one of them started to argue as another advanced and raised his weapon. Tom flinched back, but Anni didn't move at all. It was then that Tom noticed Shizuo had found them with the coffee. The pipe didn't hit Anni, but found her boyfriend's arm instead. His sleeve ripped and the coffee fell, forgotten, to the ground. There was a moment of silence, where no one moved.

"My clothes..." Shizuo said simply, examining the hole that had been made. Tom took a few steps back, noting how Anni carefully mimicked his movement. "The clothes my little brother gave me…" he continued, before the inevitable came. "You bastards!" he shouted, picking up one of the motorcycles. Tom calmly crossed himself and prayed for the souls of the poor men before him as Shizuo executed his carnage. By the time his coworker had started to calm down, none of the bikes were in one piece, and all four of the gang members were unconscious. Shizuo seemed to notice Anni for the first time, along with her few injuries. Neither of them moved. Next, Tom witnessed something that left him speechless. Neither of them spoke, but he felt like a whole conversation passed between their eyes. The exchange ended with Anni nodding, as if in admission of guilt. "I thought you would be keeping yourself out of trouble" Shizuo sighed at her.

"Alex gave me the nickname _trouble_ for good reason" she quipped back.

-!DRRR!-

Anni was content. She'd gotten to see a lot of the events over these past few days, and to top it off, her place here was always open to her. She pulled the blanket over her shoulder and reached out to intertwine her fingers with Shizuo's. No matter what went on outside, he would be here for her. Her guardian had never let her down, and he never would. In all honesty, Anni couldn't imagine going through her life without him anymore. When she came here, to this universe, she had wanted… what? She couldn't recall correctly anymore. But she never would have imagined actually falling for this legend of Ikebukuro.

"I love you" she whispered, but her voice still rang clear through the quiet. **Wait, wait, WHAT? Did I just say that out loud?** Her admission was very true. It had been for a long time, but she hadn't meant to say anything at all. The words fell from her lips without any intent. She had been planning and dreaming of the right time to say that, and now it had just unceremoniously shattered the silence that usually preceded sleep. Anni stiffened in paranoid shock, awaiting his response. **Please be asleep already please be aslee-**

"It's a little soon to be talking in your sleep, don'tcha think?" Shizuo calmly asked, tightening his grip on her hand enough to keep her from pulling away.

"Wh-what?" was all she could manage. **What the hell kind of response was that!?**

"Ah, sorry. I just wanted to make sure you couldn't get out of this again" he explained.

"Again? What…" The little blonde realized her hand had started trembling slightly with how she was clinging to her boyfriend. Even if he was the source of her nervous energy, she couldn't keep herself from reaching to him for comfort.

"You've been saying things in your sleep again. Over the past few weeks, you've told me that about four times." Shizuo pulled her hand up to press a kiss to her stiff fingers. She relaxed despite herself, waiting for him to go on in awed silence. "I'm glad I caught you while you were still awake" he gloated, suddenly renewing Anni's anxiety. She couldn't find a single word to say. Her very existence seemed to hang on his words. Silence gagged her as Shizuo pulled her into his arms. "Now you can finally hear me when I say I love you too" he said as he kissed her.

 **-A/N-**

 **A few things to say! First, since I last posted I did go back and do quite a bit of updating of the earlier chapters, to account for all the little changes I'm always making. I spend a lot more time than I should picking everything apart and trying to make it perfect.**

 **Second! You'll notice that although the 4.5 OVA chronologically falls in this time period, I didn't write anything about it, although Anni would have been present. There are a few reasons for this. One is simply that I've been dreading the idea of writing it, with so many people and voices to account for that I'm not used to writing. I'm a wimp. Another is that I have either the light novel or OVA itself to rely on, and neither of the sources are in an official release translation. Any quotes that I used from those just wouldn't sound right.**

 **Again, I'm sorry it's been taking me so long to get these chapters out to you. As it is I'm posting this one just as I felt it was done enough. Life finds ways to get in the way, and the only reason I haven't given up on my little abomination here is for you all. You are all kinda eerily quiet... but the fact that you guys will go through and follow/fav my story, then do the same to ME, despite the fact that I'll probably never write anything else, lets me know that you're still here. Thank you so much.**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	32. Overboard

Another month had passed. Anni knew all too well, because she had been keeping careful count, all leading up to the long weekend. It was no accident now, that she was walking home with Shizuo on a Friday night. She was practically humming as she strolled along before she noticed the odd look he was giving her.

"Is something going to start up again? You only get this excited when you know something is coming" he observed.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm going to do my best to keep my nose out of this one, but I wanna watch!" she gushed, gazing up at him as if begging permission.

"Of course, just stay out of trouble" he laughed, rubbing her head. Anni wondered for a moment if acting like a kid was worth the treatment. "I don't want you getting hurt like you did last time."

"I'll be fine. I did go overboard last month, but-"

"No excuses. I just want you to stay safe" he asserted, cutting her off. Anni could now make out the light glare he was giving her through his glasses.

"Allright. I'll stay out of trouble then" she agreed, stopping in place. There was a turn up ahead, and she could barely see the front tire of a motorcycle poking out. "I need to stay here for a minute. Go on ahead. Don't say anything about having a girlfriend, ok?" she instructed quietly.

"Ah, so it's right now? I get it" Shizuo nodded before continuing. Anni watched him go, something twisting uncomfortably in her stomach. She stayed where she was as he turned the corner, and as his conversation with Rocchi began. She didn't move until after the distinctive impact of flesh on flesh signaled the start of their fight. By the time she had jogged close enough to watch, Rocchi had gotten back up and was sprinting forward to try and land another blow. He never got to, as Shizuo's fist was faster. Rocchi went flying again, landing on his back. Shizuo just advanced slowly, calmly closing the distance to deliver another punch.

"Two" Anni counted under her breath. To her horror, as Rocchi sat up again, his eyes fell on her. She kept her face impassive, but she knew she'd already messed up. The knot in her stomach threatened to reintroduce her to her dinner.

"This isn't the place for you, Little Miss" Rocchi announced as he stood up.

"Don't worry about me" Anni asserted quietly, but she doubted Rocchi heard her as he threw himself at Shizuo again, and endured hit three. Then he got back to his feet. Even knowing before that he could pull this off didn't quite kill the awe Anni felt, watching him take hit after hit from her Shizuo. He was a bit slower getting to his feet again, but stand he did.

"Don't you worry, I can still take care of this" he proclaimed, though he had yet to do anything to Shizuo, and was just barely still on his feet. One last time, he closed the distance between himself and her guardian with a kick. His foot found Shizuo's face, but he didn't even flinch. Rocchi landed, and the fourth punch met his face. Anni held her breath.

With much effort, Chikage Rokujo pulled himself to his feet again. **You're going to get yourself killed, you stubborn idiot!** Before he could stumble forward enough to attack her boyfriend yet again, she threw herself between them, arms spread wide. **One more hit and you're as good as dead! Don't you dare take that for me.** She made sure to face Rocchi, so there was no mistake who she was defending.

"Enough, Rocchi!" Anni stood still a second, regathering her wits. No one else moved. "Please, don't make me watch you try to hurt my boyfriend any longer!"

"Haha, you didn't mention having such a sweet little lady" Rocchi said as he fell to his knees. He crumpled on the spot, saying "I've got a sweet thing to, she'll be sure to nurse me back to health." With that he was gone. He'd simply given into unconsciousness. The little blonde let her arms fall as she released the breath she hadn't been aware she was still holding. A hand fell on her shoulder, making her jump. Shizuo came up from behind her, looking concerned. She had almost managed to forget he was here.

"I'm so sorry, I almost messed everything up…" she admitted, hanging her head. "I shouldn't have been here."

"I'm going to take him to Shinra, you should be able to make it home from here. We can talk about it when I get home, alright?" he ruffled her hair as he spoke, comforting her.

"I'll see you at home then" she agreed with a weak smile. A quick hug later, Anni was alone, quickly walking to their apartment. The midnight aria that usually soothed her only made her more tense. **I messed up I messed up, I could have impacted everything from here on!** she ranted to herself as she walked, keeping a careful eye on her surroundings. **If Rocchi were more seriously hurt, or worse, KILLED, how would things turn out two days from now?** Relaxing wasn't an option until she'd safely locked the door behind herself. Anni just threw herself into the couch and wallowed in self-loathing for a while.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo was certainly curious by the time he made it home. He had of course been wondering about his girlfriend's secrets since he knew she had them, but recent events had only made it worse. He had never been one to pry, but this was something that involved him. He unlocked his door to find Anni laying face down in the couch, in a rather uncomfortable looking position.

"Welcome home" she said as she pulled herself up to poor girl looked so sad.

"So what exactly happened?" he asked as he came to sit beside her. Then she did something he had thought she wouldn't do; she flinched away. Shizuo froze in place as her little blue eyes widened in fear. "Anni?"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry, I've just been beating myself up… I'm mostly expecting a lecture. Alex would be ripping me a new one about now" she rambled, hiding her face in her hands. Shizuo huffed and forced himself to relax a little.

"I can't lecture you if I don't know what you did wrong, can I?" he asked.

"No you can't. I just almost messed up a lot more than I can say…. I guess I should start at the beginning" she started, scooting over so she could melt against his arm.

"You plan on telling me all of your big secrets then?"

"Not exactly, but a lot more than I have told you. Do you remember how I said I was from another universe?"

"Ya, back when you broke your phone, right?" he recounted, watching her close her eyes as she relaxed.

"Exactly. My home is almost exactly like this place, but it's missing a few things. One of the main differences is what it has that this universe doesn't, though. A story. It was a rather popular story. It started as just a light novel, but was made into both a manga and anime" Anni explained lazily.

"And what's so important about this story then?" Shizuo scratched the back of his neck while he listened, trying to figure out what some story in another universe had to do with it.

"It's a story about Ikebukuro" she answered, opening her eyes to see his reaction, "and it's named Durarara." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "It's a chaotic and rather dynamic story, that manages to show the point of view of almost all of its many characters. And Celty is the protagonist of it all."

"You sound like you know this story well" he commented. His little blonde laughed a little before speaking again.

"I do. I know it inside out, upside down and backwards. I adored that story."

"I still don't get how that story can be like Ikebukuro here though" he sighed.

"It's a bit complicated. Basically, because there are infinite universes, and infinite differences, anything you can imagine is possible is some other universe. I simply had a way to create a link between two worlds, one where all this is only a story, and one where it all actually happens." She made a little demonstration in the air with her fingers as she spoke, marking the different realities.

"And how did you make that… link?" he asked, trying to keep up with this nonsense.

"Alex and I… That time is a big blur. I still know how it happened, but I can't talk about it. I'm sorry"

"That's alright. So you know all about me because of Durarara then" Shizuo assumed.

"A lot, but I wouldn't really say all. You and Celty were once my favorite characters of the whole thing" she said with a smile, as if reflecting on something.

"Heh, I'm honored. Why the past tense though?"

"Because I can't think of anything here as JUST part of the story anymore. I've lived it. You're not just characters, we're all just humans. Well, not necessarily in Celty's case, but… This all isn't the point though" she finished, her face losing the little joy it held a moment before.

"What is it about then?"

"How should I say… The story is about a whole city. It's chaotic, and a bit unpredictable. It hinges on a lot of little things happening, that bring about bigger events that guide the lives of all the characters involved" she explained, bringing her hands in for emphasis again. "Left alone, here, everything should still happen that way. No matter the chances of those little coincidences, it'll all turn out like it does in Durarara. It won't change at all from how it's supposed to be."

"And that's a good thing right?" He reached over to move an errant bit of hair out of her face.

"Yes. I believe the end to everything in this story is a good one. I want that end to come about. But there's one big problem. The events should work out right without influence, and the only thing that can possibly mess with the balance is something not from the story. Or something not from this universe. Someone... like me" Anni's voice cracked on the last word, so she reached up to cover her mouth with both hands.

"Anni…?" Shizuo asked in surprise, taken aback by the sudden show of emotion.

"That's why I never wanted to tell you this. I'm a poison. Anything I do has a chance to mess with the fragile balance of events and destroy the story I know in ways I can't fix. Being anywhere near the story or those involved in it can have disastrous effects, and here I am, I've ended up dating YOU. Do you have any idea how important you are to everything?" she ranted emphatically. "Don't you see? I'm the dangerous one. The worst you can do is put me in the hospital, but I can destroy your whole life without even knowing it!" She turned to him, practically yelling at him as she lost it. Shizuo had no immediate response, still processing what she was trying to say. "It terrifies me. I never wanted to hurt you…" she admitted, her voice cracking again as she hung her head. Her fists balled on her knees.

It clicked. When he first asked her about what she knew, right after he had been shot, she ran away. She had been trying to protect him from herself. Was that why she immediately forgave him for hurting her that night in the alleyway too? Did she feel so guilty about putting him in danger that she would overlook a broken rib and collarbone without a second thought? All those months of keeping this secret, and trying to keep from changing him, how much had it worn on her? It was a wonder she didn't keep running away from him, after the first question. She'd been working so hard all this time to balance her connection with him and her fear of hurting him. Shizuo smiled. He still didn't quite get why she was so convinced she would change his life, but he did understand her fear.

"Y'know, you keep talking about changing the story as if it's some terrible thing, but I don't think it's the end of the world" he said casually as he rested a hand on her back. Anni just looked up at him in helpless silence. "I guess what I want to say is, I don't really care what happens to my life from here on out, so long as I can keep you in it."

"Shizuo, I could screw up absolutely everything just by ending up in the wrong place, just like tonight, are you sure you want someone like me-"

"Are you going to start telling me what I want now?" he challenged, leaning forward so their faces were barely an inch apart. It was so easy to smile, to call forward enough of a glare to make her stop arguing. He made sure to be mindful of how much pressure he put on her back, but the rest had become so simple to control. Anni flinched back for a second, but then started laughing. The frantic giggles only quieted slightly as she shook her head. She had clearly just been on the verge of tears, but she couldn't speak now past her own compulsive laughter. Shizuo pulled back and gave her room to struggle to breathe in her mirth. He could only sit and smile, proud that he had broken that horrible mood she had been in.

"Thank you" she managed to choke out after another minute.

"What are you thanking me for? I should be thanking you for telling me all this" he observed, laughing with her.

"I really should have trusted you with this earlier. Thank you Shizuo. I love you."

-!DRRR!-

"Yo. You usually don't call at this time anymore, is it important?" Alex asked, pinning his cell against his shoulder.

"I…. kinda? I'm just…" came his sisters hesitant answer.

"Alright, something happened…. again. At least you can still call me. Start talking" he ordered. The next 15 minutes were spent with Anni explaining the events of last night, and Alex occasionally making sounds to show he was still listening. She even explained the previous theory about the universe trying to counterbalance her interference. Once she had gone quiet for a minute, signalling that she was done, Alex took his turn. "You know exactly what I'm going to say next."

"...Yes" Anni agreed softly.

"Then I don't think I need to say it. You sound like you've tortured yourself enough already with my voice. What I will say is I still believe in Maya's theory" he explained, switching ears for the fifth time since they started talking.

"What?"

Alex huffed a sigh at her so _intelligent_ answer, and explained himself. "I mean, Rokujo Chikage did not take more than the allotted four hits, did he?"

"No, he didn't but I had to step in-"

"Exactly. You're a part of that universe now, if you like it or not. You are now a part of that balance. You were effectively used to counteract yourself" he said as he continued going about his business. Anni was quiet.

"Please don't get my hopes up about something like this" she said after a time.

"I'm not, I'm just sharing what I think. Besides, it's still just a theory. It's not like you'll have any indication of if the UNIVERSE is telling you to do things or not-"

"OH SHIT" Anni yelled, making him jump in his seat.

"What the hell?!"

"I did though! I had this feeling… since I got here, I've been having bad feelings sometimes, and they've always been RIGHT. Alex, the universe HAS been trying to influence me! Right before the fight started, I got the sense that something was going to go wrong, like a twist in my stomach. The same thing happened the night Maya was kidnapped, and around the time Shizuo first figured out that I have a secret-"

"Slow down! What the hell are you talking about?" Alex demanded, putting a pause on what he was doing to rub the headache away from his eyebrows.

"I think I have actually become incorporated into this universe. I think you're absolutely right. You and Maya both" she continued in an overly excited tone.

"Alright, I get that. What were you saying about your stomach now?" he continued.

"That's how this universe 'orders' me around, I think. Or maybe how it lets me know something is wrong. I get this twisting, horrible feeling in my gut that something is going to go wrong" his little sister rambled.

"I think you've had too much coffee, or not enough sleep" he suggested as started going back to what he'd been working on.

"I have not had any caffeine today" she asserted with a little too much force.

"You didn't sleep well after all that, did you Little Anni?" Alex guessed. The silence that answered him was all too certain.

"My lunch break is almost over. I'll talk to you later tonight" she said finally.

"Later Trouble."

-!DRRR!-

"Tom-san, I got you some coffee" Shizuo offered. "What's wrong?"

" _Thank you_. I just saw a familiar face, see. Oh wait, he might've come here for you" Tom realized as he started on his drink.

"Huh?" his coworker asked as he sat down.

"The other day, didn't you beat up, or should I say blow away a bunch of bikers from Saitama? Well that team, the Toramaru team's boss, he was just there. His name's Rokujo Chikage" Tom explained, glancing out the window where the man in question had just been.

"You talking about that guy in the leather jacket with the white hearts?" Shizuo guessed.

"You know him then?" Tom asked in surprise.

"Ya, he came up to me yesterday…" Shizuo then went on to explain what had happened to him the night before, leaving out Anni's part in it, as she had asked.

"Huh, now that's unusual, for you to take someone to the doctor" Tom commented once he had finished his story.

"I don't really dislike that kind of guy. Now if it were Fleabag, I'd just apply the finishing blow" Shizuo said, imagining for an instant actually getting to land a hit on that annoyances face.

"Fleabag? Oh, you mean that information broker" Tom said, as a small tremor ran down Shizuo's spine. The straw he'd been holding was crushed between his fingers. "Well, taking one punch from you is more or less a finishing blow" Tom amended.

"Four punches" Shizuo corrected.

"Huh?"

"He kept getting up until after I landed my fourth punch" he described flatly.

"For real?" came Tom's surprised question.

"Ya, just before I delivered the fifth, 'I've got a girl too, she'll be sure to nurse me back to health' I think that's what he said? And so saying, he crashed to the ground" Shizuo expanded.

"I'd heard that he was a durable fellow" Tom said with a laugh.

"To be honest, it actually kind of made me happy." Shizuo found himself smiling, thinking of how Anni had thrown herself between them at that moment, protecting him. He of course didn't want her to put herself in danger, but he enjoyed having someone who would do that for him.

"Well, you did manage to find a sweet girl for yourself, didn't you? I told you looking like your top idol of a brother wouldn't hurt." Laughter still rang in Tom's voice.

"Do we really look that much alike?" Shizuo mused aloud.

"Why don't you ask Anni when you see her? Anyway, we've had a snack at Lottaria, so for dinner, how about we balance it out with Woc… huh?" Tom started as he stood, pausing as he looked out the window.

"What's wrong?" he wondered, leaning forward.

"No, behind you" Tom corrected, making his coworker turn. There, with her face pressed up against the glass, was a young girl. As he watched, she took what looked like a picture out of her shoulder bag, looked at it, looked at him again, then started spinning.

"Hey, is that a relative of yours, Shizuo?" came Tom's baffled question.

"No, I've never seen her before" he admitted.

"But I don't think she was looking at you because she's never seen anyone dressed like you" Tom speculated.

"Probably not. I'm going out to check." Shizuo stood and took his tray out to the door.

"Hey, what are you going to do if she suddenly goes 'Daddy' or 'Darling'?" Shizuo could hear the panic rising in Tom's voice, but continued on anyway.

"That would never happen."

-!DRRR!-

Anni had been out of her training for a while, had dinner, and was now wandering about the city she loved. Sitting still at times like this was simply impossible for her. Around this time, she theorized, Celty would be meeting Varona. Chikage Rokujo would be gathering his forces for their meeting. Later on, Varona would be going after-

"Aren't you the beauty from last night?" A voice broke through her little bubble, calling her to look up. None other than Rokujo Chikage stood before her, in bandages and his usual attire.

"I believe I am, Rocchi" she answered, a smile creeping over her face.

"Might I know the name of the young woman who so courageously stopped me?" He took up one of her hands to clasp as he spoke.

"Hael Annibel, though I ask everyone to call me Anni. It's nice to meet you" the little blonde explained.

"A pleasure to meet you as well! I'm on my way to a meeting of sorts, but I was wondering if you might accept my invitation-"

"If you want to take me out on a date, my dear Rocchi, you'll have to beat my precious Shizuo in a fight" Anni offered, watching her suitor stop dead in his pursuit.

"Sorry, that isn't a challenge I'm willing to take up" he admitted, making Anni giggle. It was then that her phone started playing its tone for calls. She reclaimed her hand to fish it from her pocket, and found it was her precious guardian.

"Speak of the devil. Excuse me" Anni said with a bow.

"Until next time."

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo took up a place on the couch as Tom took a short break from the game he had been enjoying a moment ago. The owner of the house they sat in had apologized for his teasing and disappeared somewhere.

"I looks like we might be spending the night here at this rate" Tom commented with a sigh. "Have you let Anni know where you are yet? There's no need to make her worry about you not coming home."

"Ah, no, I haven't yet. I'll give her a call now then" Shizuo agreed, standing. Since he was calling his girlfriend, he did want a little privacy, so he took his phone out onto the balcony. It rang twice before she picked up.

"Hey there. I assume you won't be coming home tonight?" Came her greeting. Shizuo couldn't help laughing a bit.

"Of course you would already know about this. Ya, I'm staying at Shinra's tonight."

"Enjoy! Tell everyone I said hi please" she asked. In the background, Shizuo caught the sound of a passing car.

"You're not home yet, are you?"

"Not yet, but I'm on my way. Don't worry about me though, really. Think of it this way… the more chaotic the city gets, and the more dangerous, the more I know about what's going on. The more I know, the safer I can make myself. Don't spare me a second thought" Anni instructed smoothly.

"Alright, I'll try. Oh, there's something I've been meaning to ask you" he added, recalling his earlier conversation with Tom.

"Yes?"

"Do Kasuka and I really look that much alike?"

Her line went silent for a moment, before she finally answered him. "Yes, you're both incredibly handsome, but you each have your own charm, I think is the best way to put it? Either way, you certainly look like you're related."

"Huh, thank you. I'll see you later then."

"Sleep well, I'll miss you. Later" Anni said, hanging up.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix**


	33. Crash

Work the next day just about drove Anni mad. How could she focus on selling manga, when her boyfriend had been framed for murder, and had the Awakasu-kai after him? After her shift ended, she decided to forego training again, and just headed out to the Second Raira field. Her trek started out as a casual stroll, but bumped up to a jog as Celty went galloping past, with her carriage and all three passengers. **This is gonna be good!** Anni thought with a wild smile as she pranced off.

Anni was practically bubbling with excitement as she snuck into the field and on top of one of the storage sheds. From there, she could easily see Kadota and Rocchi already going at it, though they didn't look like they'd been fighting for long. Their audience settled in and got comfortable, making sure she also had a good view of the bushes on the side. The fighting duo seemed perfectly balanced in matchup. They traded blow for blow, neither one ever seeming to have an advantage for long. It hurt a little to watch them both take such heavy hits, but neither flinched back. They just kept throwing themselves back into the flurry of punches, kicks, and headbutts. Just as she was getting immersed in trying to keep some sort of score, Anni was startled by a noise behind her.

"Oh, someone's already here?" the young boy wondered aloud as he climbed on top of the shed. His orange cat ears matched his yellow shirt rather well, though the whiskers he'd drawn on his face seemed a little over the top.

"Don't mind me, I'm just here to watch for a bit. Wanna join?" Anni offered, patting the spot beside her. She didn't particularly want his company, but she didn't want to cause any trouble of her own either.

"Ooooh! That sounds cool. The view is almost perfect from here too" he commented as he hunkered beside her. "Look at 'em go!"

"Shhhhh, you don't want them to hear us do you?" This kid really was a poor pick for recon.

"It's awesome!" he added, though more quietly this time. His commentary on the fight continued, in a whisper, until one last headbutt knocked Rocchi out. "And we have a winner!"

"Ya, we do" the little blonde sighed at him. She should have remembered that this is where he was watching from. Kadota slumped onto a bench by Rocchi's feet and caught his breath. One quiet minute passed before Rocchi stirred again.

"Who are you anyway?" Neko asked as Kadota and Rocchi started talking.

"Me? I'm nobody. You can call me Lizz" Anni answered. She wasn't fond of the kid, and she certainly didn't want her real name getting back to Aoba.

"Everyone calls me Neko, it's nice to meetcha" he said in greeting, offering his hand and a stupid grin.

"...You too." Anni shook his hand. They were both distracted then by the newest arrivals, as what she could only think of as the dregs of the dollars sauntered up. Led by a chubby man in a purple jacket, the small mob accosted Kadota and Chikage. Conversation quickly got heated, and the chubby man pulled a telescopic metal bat on Kadota. His weapon never got to complete its arch, as Chikage pulled his own weapon to block it. Anni finally managed to get back into the spirit of things and grinned as Kadota admired his new friend's helm splitter. She shouldn't let some kid with cat ears mess with her fun anyway. The chubby man attacked again and went down too easily with Rocchi's counter. It was then that those holding the hostages came out, grabbing everyone's attention.

A slight rustling over to the side alerted Anni that Mikado and Anri had arrived. She watched with a growing smirk as Varona snuck up behind them and attacked Anri. Annibel made sure to avert her eyes from the flashbang and watched Walker start his distraction instead. Even in such a small area, there was so much going on at once. This is exactly what she had signed on for. To top it all off, she still didn't even have a hint of a bad feeling. A few other dollars swooped in to rescue the hostages, and Toramaru announced their arrival with horns galore. Varona restarted her assault on Saika, and Anni started getting ready to go. Her spectating partner had gotten wrapped up in a call, recounting the event in horrible detail, so she didn't have to say goodbye as Toramaru's short brawl with the worst of the dollars started. Shizuo arrived, motorcycle and all, pausing only to talk to Mikado. Anni took her opportunity, smiling, to hop down quietly and take off at a run. No one seemed to notice her flight. The fight here would be over the moment they saw her boyfriend, and she wanted-, no, Anni needed to see at least part of Akane's rescue.

Having a head start was the only reason Annibel made it past the truck at all as she sprinted to be out as far ahead as possible. The little blonde pitted her feet against the cement in an endless battle to push forward faster. It wasn't enough to overcome her excitement. This part was another of her favorite moments of the series, for several reasons. Putting her awe and admiration of Shizuo and his capabilities aside, this scene showed a huge step in his control and motivations. While the Heiwajima Shizuo who appeared at the start of season one would certainly be able to ignore a few swords in his back and trust Celty to catch him from a moving truck, he would not have been able to choose to ignore an obvious enemy to do it.

A rumble started catching up to her, so Anni ducked into the next alleyway she could find. Drawing attention was always a bad thing at times like these. The truck rolled by without incident, but then Anni heard something else entirely. It was an expected sound, but it made her world come grinding to a halt.

It was the screeching of metal and the crunching of glass as it was repeatedly broken.

She remembered now. Anni's legs locked in place and her heart started racing. She was suddenly acutely aware of herself, and nothing else.

Shizuo passed her, kicking the car ahead of himself like a soccer ball, unaware that his girlfriend was standing in the alleyway there.

Had locking it all away really been that easy? Did it really take being this close to another car being destroyed to force her to remember again? She fell against the wall and slowly slipped down, feeling her bones start to tremble slightly. Oh, that's right. It was because she chose to forget.

-!February15th, One year earlier!-

They were on a road trip, out to a con. Since it was a longer drive, all three of them took shifts behind the wheel so they wouldn't have to stop for long. The order ran Alex, Mom, then Anni.

"Alright Annibel, your turn" her mother sighed as she pulled into the gas station. The daughter jolted out of her newly acquired nap at the sound of her full first name. It took her a brief moment to even put together that she was in the passenger seat of a car. "Here, you can deal with the pump too" she said, wrapping Anni's all too pliable fingers around a few twenties.

"Eh?" she asked, staring, bewildered, at the money in her hand. It wasn't until her mother pulled open her door and ordered her out that she understood what was going on. "I just managed to fall asleep…" she muttered as she fumbled with her seatbelt.

"That's not my fault, now is it?" Her mother's teasing and sarcastic nature always found a way into her tone.

"Yes it is! If you hadn't kept me up all night talking, I-"

"You're the one who volunteered to help keep me awake, now move your butt. That's my spot now" her mother ordered, giving her daughter's behind a love tap as she stumbled out of the car.

"Love you too, Mommy" the little blonde mumbled. She couldn't have told you at the time if it was sarcastic or not, however.

One filled tank and a few miles later, Anni still hadn't fully woken up. Her mother, on the other hand, had passed out with her bare feet up on the dashboard. Working night shift in the hospital had taught the widow all too well how to fall asleep quickly.

Annibel was beyond relieved to hear the rustle of her brother waking up in the seat behind her. "Hey, butt-face" she whispered just above the sound of wind whipping around their metal box.

"What is it Trouble?" came his drowsy reply.

"Do we still have any Dr. Pepper back there? I desperately need some caffeine" Anni asked as kindly as she could manage. Some more rustling later, she felt something tap against her right shoulder. It was far lighter than she expected though. The can she had been handed was open, and half empty. "Oh come on" she groaned.

"It's the last one. How badly do you need caffeine again?" Alex taunted, ending with a yawn. That yawn spread to the driver as well.

"Damn… it. Did ya do something to it?" she demanded quietly.

"No, just drink the damn thing. The war is over" he grumbled.

"So you keep saying" Anni growled back before downing the remains of her brother's drink.

"Love you too" Alex laughed at the back of her head.

It was another hour before Anni decided it was worth stopping for more soda. She simply could not hold out keeping her eyes open with how much sleep she'd gotten. She had pulled off the highway and onto surface streets to find a 7/11 when it happened. Alex had booted his DS up again, and so wasn't paying enough attention to the road to warn her. It was all Anni's responsibility.

It was just a hill. There were two signals on this hill, one in about the middle, and one at the top. They were each different colors. Anni didn't realize until much later that the green light was at the top, and not the intersection that she crossed.

Their car was hit from the right, on the passenger's side. Anni didn't know this at the time, she was knocked unconscious to the sound of breaking glass and screaming metal. She only found out later. It was thankfully Alex who delivered the news, while they were both in the hospital. The crash hadn't hurt either of them very much. It had, however, killed their mother on impact.

Anni blamed herself. She ran the light. She had gotten her own mother killed.

Alex blamed himself. He knew his sister wasn't fit to drive. He should have taken over the wheel with his full night's sleep, or at least forced her to stop earlier. His negligence had killed his own mother.

-!May4th, One year later!-

It was nearly six months after the accident that Anni and her brother made the link. She had been a lamentable wreck until then, barely able to function. All she wanted was to run away, so she ran to another universe and left everything behind. It came as no surprise that when she was given the chance, Anni cut ties to everyone and everything but Alex, and forgot anything bad had ever happened. Alex had stayed, to take care of everything she couldn't. He was never as much of a coward as she was.

Annibel had the piece of mind to realize she was curled up in a ball again, making some sort of horrible noises.

She had abandoned almost everything to start again here, in her favorite story, and she simply forgot about her old life.

-!DRRR!-

Akane clung to the back of her new big sister as the shadow things wrapped around her back again. It was still really strange, but it made her feel safer about being on this oddly silent motorcycle. Big Brother Shizuo waved at them one last time as they started moving, heading back to Kishitani-sensei's house. He said he had to go back to work, and couldn't join them.

They didn't make it far down the street before she heard something else that was strange, like someone crying. Celty pulled them over by an alleyway, where the horrible sound was coming from.

"What's going on?" She asked hesitantly. Akane was lifted off the bike and made to stand on the sidewalk before Celty started typing an answer.

"I'm going to check it out, you stay right here and wait for me, ok?"

"Whoever it is sounds really sad... Are you going to help them big sister?" Akane couldn't help wanting to save whoever was hurt enough to make crying noises like that.

"I'm going to try" Celty showed her quickly before walking around the corner and into the alleyway.

-!DRRR!-

Celty had thought she recognized Anni's voice, but it was so distorted by her hysterics, the fairy was still somehow surprised to see the little blonde curled up against the wall there, apparently losing her mind. The girl didn't seem to notice Celty at all, even as she was shaken by her shoulder and had a PDA shoved in her face. Her pained wail faltered after a minute of this, and Anni finally realized she had company.

"Cel-" she choked out before stopping to read what the fairy had been holding at her this whole time.

"Are you ok?! What happened?"

"No, no I'm…" the girl muttered before her speech was taken over by another, softer wail. Celty was not prepared to deal with this, whatever this was. She carefully made an eared helmet around the poor girls head, to hide her face and hopefully muffle her cries a little. Celty really didn't want to dump this on Shizuo either, but it was his girlfriend, and he was still hopefully nearby.

"Shizuo should still be around here, I can get you too him quickly so we can sort this out" Celty offered, impatiently waiting for her new charge to read the message. Anni's response was to shake her head rather violently, until she found her voice again.

"Please, no. I can't… I don't want him to see me… like this…" she managed to force out. "I live… just around the corner…"

-!DRRR!-

Akane waited as patiently as she could. The horrible crying slowly got quieter, until all Akane could hear was a broken whispering. Eventually, Celty came walking out, leading another girl in a closed-faced helmet, just like the one Akane was wearing. "This is a friend of mine" Celty explained. "She lives nearby, so I'm going to drop her off at home on our way, is that alright?"

Akane nodded her approval, before asking "Is she going to be ok?"

Big Sister took a moment to think before answering, but typed quickly once she did. "She just needs to get home and get some rest, she'll be fine" Celty reassured. Then she made a sidecar appear on her motorcycle, where the woman with pretty hair climbed in. The strange woman never said a word, and the black helmet never let Akane see the woman's face. Even when they stopped to drop her off, the tall blonde only gave Celty a deep bow and kept her hair hanging in front of her face. Akane sure hoped she was going to be alright.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo was tired, but overall in a good mood when he unlocked his door. He felt like he'd actually accomplished something, and he was looking forward to seeing Anni again after two days now. "I'm home" he called as he came inside. It was darker than he had expected though, it looked like Anni hadn't bothered to turn the lights on at all. Had she gone to bed already? No, that must be her, that lump on the couch under her blanket. Was she… crying? "Anni? What happened?" he asked as he rushed to the side of the slightly shaking lump.

"I can't-" she choked at him, revealing her tearstreaked face from under the blanket as she threw her arms around him. "I can't explain right now. Just d-don't let me go" Anni begged in a forced whisper. Shizuo wrapped his arms around her and held on as tight as he dared, his precious blonde whimpering helplessly. Shizuo eventually got a chance to sit on his couch, careful to follow the one order he'd been given, and never letting her leave his grip. After a while of this, she calmed down enough to slowly explain what had happened a little over year ago. He could only listen and hold her close as she told him about how her mother died, and how she had run away from her universe to come here. He never bothered to get her any tea this time, it was obvious that he was doing far more good by being here to hold her. He felt so strangely helpless, not being able to do anything for her but sit and listen. By the time Anni agreed to try and go to sleep, it must have been 3 or 4am.

 **-A/N-**

 **Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix.**


	34. Welcome home

Alex pondered over his dinner. His fork clinked against the plate of food that didn't seem as appealing anymore. He couldn't get that last conversation with Anni out of his head. She'd been so kind as to wake him up with a call at some awful hour, crying.

"I remember it now. Alex, I remember Mom. I remember the accident, how could I…" she started off, barely audible past her muffled whining. He'd stayed up to talk with her until his alarm went off to wake him, but the loss of sleep wasn't what was bothering him. What bugged him was that he couldn't be there to console her in person, or smack her upside the head when she kept insisting it was her fault. He knew that this was coming, especially with how things had been going recently, but he still wasn't quite prepared for the rush of returning memories, or his sister's renewed anguish.

Alex simply did his best to stay calm, and support her. He'd had nearly a year longer to deal with this, and she was reliving it all over again. Anni sometimes managed to calm herself for a while, but it never lasted long before she just started bawling again. It never escalated again to the hysterics she called him with, but it was beyond maddening to listen to his little sister's wails, and be helpless to comfort her. By the time he had to leave and she hung up on him, she sounded like herself again, but there was probably another sobbing mess just under the surface. Such is how it was with her.

Alex cleaned up the remains of his dinner and decided to go to bed early, exhausted from his long day. **She handled it better than before she left** he decided as he tried to close his eyes. **Hopefully she'll finally be able to accept it and move on.**

-!DRRR!-

Varona, Shizuo, and Tom were sitting on the steps of the shrine, still talking as the group of girls came wandering up.

"Shizuo-san!" Mairu shouted as she ran at the trio of coworkers.

"Kururi and Mairu? Anni too? Huh? Akane?" Shizuo counted aloud.

Akane ran up first, shouting "Big Brother Shizuo!" Varona was visibly surprised as she watched him get up to greet the group, accepting Akane's hug.

"What a beautiful lady…" Kururi offered, admiring the russian blonde.

"Who is that? Can I hug her?" her twin asked, jumping excitedly.

"Better not" Shizuo answered.

"Thank you so much for yesterday" Akane said, pulling Shizuo's attention back and earning a smile.

"Ah, don't worry about that. It's more endearing for little kids to forget favors right away" he consoled, patting her head affectionately.

"Shizuo-san… Akane-chan… you know each other?" Kururi realized quietly.

"Ya! Who knew?" Mairu added.

"How about you? What are you doing together?" Shizuo asked of the little group before him.

"Akane-chan is Mairu and my junior at our dojo" Anni answered, seeing her small chance to get a word in.

"Mairu's dojo, so it's self-defense, huh? Good idea, it wouldn't hurt to learn that, I guess" he offered.

"Y-you think so? Then I'm gonna work hard at it!" Akane said with newfound determination.

"Anni, how are you holding up?" Shizuo asked, finally turning his attention to her.

"Well enough, don't worry about me. That's an order" she dismissed.

"Ya sure then? That's fine. We can talk at home" Shizuo agreed. Varona shot him an odd look from the side.

"Come to think of it, have you watched the news, Shizuo-san?" Mairu demanded in her usual excitement.

"News? About what?" came Shizuo's confused response.

"What the heck, he hasn't seen it" Mairu mused with her sister.

"Izanii barely survived-" Kururi reflected, only for Tom to finally step in and interrupt her.

"All right, why don't we get going?" he offered as he started walking.

"Ok" Shizuo agreed without hesitation.

Tom stopped for a moment before Varona on his way, saying "This next one has a wife and kids and could be tricky, so could you wait here for a bit?"

"Understood" she agreed just as quickly as her elder coworker.

As they walked away, Akane called "I'll be waiting till you come back, Big Brother Shizuo!" to their retreating backs. The girls left behind took up seats on the steps of the shrine again, save for Varona, who stood leaning against a pillar.

"I have a question" the russian blonde informed the lounging Anni.

"Ask away" came her lackluster response.

"Inferring from previous statements, is it true that you and Shizuo live together?" Varona inquired bluntly.

"Indeed. We're dating, so it shouldn't sound too strange" Anni answered with a shrug.

"Understood. I shall keep a note of this. Thank you for your cooperation" Varona said, seeming to lose herself in thought again.

"Any time. I'm more than happy to help, if I can" Anni continued. Mairu decided to take a chance to ask her own questions.

"If you're a friend of Simon-san's, does that mean you know Egor-san too?" she asked.

"I am astounded. I never expected you to be aware of Egor" Varona said in return.

"Wow… What a coincidence, huh?" Kururi added, silence falling.

"Are you a friend of Big Brother Shizuo's, Miss?" Akane broke the silence, only for quiet to fall again as Varona considered the answer.

"I deny being friends with him. Shizuo and I are merely colleges, nothing more" she finally decided.

"Hah? Is that right?" Akane wondered, her words drowned out by a sudden screech of tires. A small mob of about eight delinquent looking punks climbed out of their cars with masks on to approach the girls. They all stood in the presence of this new threat.

"What's this? This doesn't look good, y'know" Mairu chattered on.

"Kidnappers" her sister delivered as a verdict.

"We'll take care of the big ones" the first punk announced to his crew.

"You guys get the little brats!" the second instructed, approaching Varona and Anni with bags. Varona sighed. She seamlessly kicked both of those who'd spoken, one to the chin, and the other was swiped off his feet with a kick to the side of the face. Anni found herself under attack as well, so she flipped one of them over her shoulder as they made a grab for her. Those who had been designated to go after the twins and Akane weren't having any more luck. Kururi pepper sprayed one in the face, her sister finishing him off with a kick to the balls. Akane pulled out her stun gun to take down one of the fatter members of the attacking punks.

"A stun gun?" Varona asked, taking a moment to notice the little girl's toy.

"Nice work, Akane-chan" Anni complimented.

"Dammit, who are these people? Who said we could use them as hostages against Shizuo?" yet another of their attackers yelled. A punk tried again to land a hit on Varona, only to face her counter, which left him slammed into the ground. From there the fight was hers. The russian beauty went about breaking down the kidnappers, kicking their faces into pillars, weaving through their attacks, and disabling them with a ferocious grace.

"Th-this is bad! We're pulling back for now!" one of the smarter punks declared, starting to run. He found he was a little too late though, as some of his comrades had already climbed into the vans, and were screeching away just as they had shown up. "You morons! Hold up! Why…" he shouted at them, he and the other two left behind running after the retreating cars. They stopped in the road, with a clear view of who was returning. Tom and Shizuo were coming back, strolling around the corner a ways away.

"It's… It's… It's Shizuo!" one of the punks stuttered.

"We're gonna make you pay" another threatened as they all scurried away in terror. The girls were quiet for a moment. Varona was the first to speak.

"My answer to your earlier question… I was mistaken. Heiwajima Shizuo is my prey. Eventually, I will crush him myself. That is a fact" she said with her back turned to the rest.

"You can certainly try" Anni challenged quietly as Akane sputtered out her response.

"You… You can't!" the little girl yelled, running up to Varona.

"Akane-chan?" Mairu asked.

"You doubt my-" Varona tried to say, before Akane interrupted.

"Big Brother Shizuo… is gonna get taken out by me! I have to kill Big Brother Shizuo! But I don't want to kill him, so… uh… um… I-I've got to figure out a way to deal with Big Brother Shizuo!"

"You're being unclear. Please advise me how you can claim ownership over my prey" Varona ordered.

"I don't get hard stuff like that!" Akane explained, shaking her head. Her fists balled in frustration.

"Hey" Tom greeted as he arrived, alone.

"Huh? Where's Shizuo?" Mairu asked of him as Varona and Akane continued their argument.

"Shizuo is mine" Varona asserted curtly.

"He went for some smokes" Tom explained.

"He is not!" Akane objected in the same instant. "You can't lay a finger on Big Brother Shizuo, all right?" she shouted, taking everyone's attention.

"Huh?" Tom said in surprise as Shizuo jogged up.

"Sorry about that, Tom-san" he apologized.

"Oh! Big Brother Shizuo!" Akane greeted, running up to the new arrival.

"Hey, did you all get along ok?" Shizuo asked, giving her another fond head pat. Akane looked back at her rival, smug.

"I would say so" Anni answered.

-!DRRR!-

Anni wrapped herself snugly in her blanket and made a fluffy-one-armed-ball on the couch. Her head was pinned between the couch arm and her own ringing cellphone. Patience drained quickly as she waited for her brother to find his cell.

"Calling back so soon? Did something else-" he started in a panic, only to be clipped short.

"Shut up."

Abrupt silence fell on his end.

Anni burst into quiet giggles, though they only lasted a moment. "I seriously didn't expect that to work. Look, if you start freaking out, I'm gonna lose it again too, so get a grip, would ya?"

"Fine. I'm calm again, see? Now what's going on?" he sighed at her, finally with a somewhat steady tone.

"I want to come back home for a while."

"Are you sure? You don't have to, I can still come-"

"No, you don't understand, I want to visit Mom's grave" Anni asserted, cutting him off again.

"So you really are getting back on your feet" he mused quietly, relieved.

"I… I think so. Maybe. I might just be taking the first steps to get there…" she mumbled.

"Do you really not see how much better you've gotten? Little Anni, you wouldn't even talk about it before you left" Alex reminded her. She could all too clearly hear his proud smile.

"I guess I have gotten a lot stronger since I came here…"

"Hell yes you have. I didn't want to tell you this, but you terrify me sometimes. Seriously" he asserted, earning a giggle. "Now. Do you have any more clothes from home to make your trip back here?"

"Aahhhhh…" came her hesitant answer.

"Fine. I'll mail you some of the clothes you left here. You'll have to wait for them to arrive before hopping on any planes, alright?"

"Got it. Thank you, Alex. I don't want to think about what would happen if I tried to pass through the link wearing clothes from this universe…"

Alex burst out laughing. "You'd be trapped, naked, in a Japanese international airport! Even I couldn't put together a prank that perfect."

"Shut up" Anni shot back, muffling her own chuckle.

-!DRRR!-

That evening, Anni had the mind to get on Kanra's chat room and leave Izaya a slightly sarcastic belated birthday wish in private message. There was no way he would pass up looking over the logs, right? Either way, even if Anni disliked him, and enjoyed seeing him stabbed for the first time in the anime, she couldn't quite enjoy it after she found out it had been on his birthday. That just seemed a step too far, even for her grudge. So, she gave the most genuine well wishes she could manage, considering her own state of mind and who she was talking to. It wouldn't make him feel any better though. Maybe it would amuse him to see this odd behavior from her, but he certainly wouldn't take it the way she wanted him to. What prompted her to be so sympathetic to someone she hated while she was enduring her own little hell then? Was it really just a consideration for him being human? Was it some kind of guilt for not stopping it when she had so desperately wanted to stop Shizuo being shot? Even she couldn't figure it out. **Izaya's going to have fun with this one then…** Anni decided as she put her laptop away and traded it for her sketchbook. This time, though her eyes watered over repeatedly, she restarted work on her unfinished family sketch.

-!DRRR!-

Anni did something that surprised her best friend the next day. She pulled Maya aside after work and told her everything. From her past to the stabbing to her plans to visit home to how she felt about it all, she spilled her guts in an uncharacteristic burst of chatter that left Maya speechless. Then they were back to their meaningless banter and chatter. The skink found them, and the couple forcibly dragged Anni with them to karaoke for the evening, instead of allowing her to go back home and fester.

By the time she got home, her guardian was already lounging in his sleepwear, watching wrestling. She went right to bed, and slept dreamlessly.

-!DRRR!-

"Your package is here" Shizuo announced, walking in carting said package.

"Thank goodness" Anni sighed, gently taking it from him. "Any later and I would need to postpone my flight again."

"It's been a week, hasn't it? Took it long enough."

"I still have no idea how Alex managed to get this here at all, considering the link and all. I'm just not going to question it. I'm just happy I'll get to make my plane tomorrow…" Anni mused, cradling her box of clothes.

"And you're sure going home will help you?" Shizuo asked. Anni just nodded, pondering the packing tape. She was out of it as usual. "Hey."

"Oh, yes?"

"I'm going to miss having you around, so get better quickly, ok?" he instructed.

"I'll do my best" Anni promised, finally giving him a small smile.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo fell into his couch, all too aware of how quiet it already was. He did enjoy the quiet, but now it somehow seemed stifling. It was lonely. He didn't think he would start missing her so soon, her plane had probably only just taken off…

It wouldn't do any good to sit here and mourn her leaving, so he started flipping through the channels. Annoying report after loud show, nothing seemed to catch his attention. Nothing except the jingle of someone outside unlocking his door. He flipped the TV off again and stood. Anni stumbled in, looking like she'd been through hell.

"Anni? What happ-"

"Y'know, I was warned about it. I'm just too stupid to see it. 'You're a part of that universe now' Alex said. 'It probably could use you to counteract your own' blah blah blah" she started to explain as she closed the door, before she did something that really unsettled him. Anni started giggling quietly.

"You're not making any sense again. Warned about what?" Shizuo demanded.

"I'm part of this universe now, see? I've been here long enough, haven't I? I've become a part of this world's dynamics, haven't I? Ha! And here I wanted to LEAVE. How dare I" she rambled on, laughing.

"Anni…"

"The link rejects even ME now! It doesn't matter where I was born! I've made my choice, now I have to live with it! It's ironic isn't it? Isn't it?" Anni finally lost herself to crazed laughter. Shizuo was simply shocked into silence. "Now I can never-!" she started to proclaim, throwing her arms out. What stopped her was a sudden convulsion as she vomited blood all over the floor.

"ANNI!" he shouted, crossing the few feet between them quickly enough to catch her. She hung limply in his arms, and never finished her proclamation.

 **-A/N-**

 **The fun I have writing things like this is usually proportional to how messed up Anni gets, even if chapter 27 still is my favorite. I'm not going to apologize for this one.**


	35. Lost

Alex was pacing. He should have made her call him at every point in the flight process; after she made it through the link, when she made it through security, when she made it to her gate, as soon as she was seated on her flight, but no. According to the website, she hadn't made it to her plane. She never even checked in, and now she wasn't picking up her phone. He wanted to scream his frantic worry to the world. Instead he just dialed her number, for the umpteenth time.

"Hello?"

The eldest Hael felt his heart skip a beat. While it wasn't his little sister's voice, at least someone had picked up. "Shizuo?" he guessed.

"Ya-"

"What happened to Anni? What the fuck is going on over there?!"

"Ah, sorry about that. She's still in surgery-"

"SURGERY?!" Alex exclaimed in dismay.

"Alex…" Shizuo growled at him. "Don't ask me what's going on if you're not going to let me explain."

Taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry... I'll shut up and listen now, ok? Just, please…" he relented, pleading. He was desperate to know what happened to his baby sister, pride didn't exist here.

Anni's boyfriend sighed on the other side of the line before starting again. "She came stumbling back home last night, and started ranting something about you being right about her being part of this universe, and the link, then spewed blood and passed out. I still don't know what she was trying to say." Alex felt his heart almost come to a stop as he realized what had happened. The link rejected her. How did he not expect this? "Shinra said he couldn't deal with all the internal bleeding and stuff, so I took her to a nearby hospital. I've been waiting here for hours, and they still haven't said anything helpful about what's going on."

"Thank you... for looking after her" was all Alex could manage.

"Ya, sure. It's not like I want her to go through this either. And now all I can do is sit here…" Shizuo snarled.

"I'll let you go then. Can you call me if anything changes?"

"Uhh, I could answer the call, but I can't actually open her phone. She has a passcode on it."

"A four digit code, right? It'll be 9400. She uses that for everything" Alex explained. Right now, her privacy was the least of her worries. He should be able to trust her boyfriend with it, anyway.

"It worked" Shizuo reported after a moment of silence.

"Please call me whenever you get news then. I don't care what time it is."

"Got it" he said curtly, hanging up.

Hospitalized. Internal bleeding. The link rejected her. A sharp impact resounded through the otherwise silent room. The thick grain of the wooden desk was unharmed under his bruised fist. The veneer against his skin seemed to cool the sting of pain. God dammit, he was even more helpless than Shizuo.

-!DRRR!-

"H-hey, Heiwajima-san!" she called out, jogging slightly to catch up. Kaneki strolled along behind her.

"Maya?" the bodyguard asked in greeting, turning in place. The man who had been walking ahead of Shizuo stopped to watch what was going on.

Maya came to a stop a little ways away from the man she wanted to question. "It's just that… Anni promised that she would call me as soon as she got back to her home, but I haven't heard from her in two days. Do you know how she is?"

Shizuo took a moment to respond, quietly adjusting his sunglasses. "She never made it back home. Raira General has her. You can go try and visit if you like, but she's still unconscious."

"Wait, she's in the hospital?! What happened?" Maya demanded.

Shizuo shot her an irritated glare, stopping the demands and making her take a step back. At once, Kaneki took a subtle step in front of her, and Shizuo's friend rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Everyone's worried about her" the man in dreads consoled in a smooth tone. Much to Maya's surprise, Shizuo nodded and seemed to relax.

"Anni came home the night she was supposed to leave and said something about the link rejecting her before she passed out" he explained. "She told you about that sort of thing, right?"

"Y-ya, she did" Maya agreed.

"Link?" Kaneki asked incredulously. His girlfriend only waved him off, too preoccupied with Shizuo.

"I'll go ask around the hospital then. Thanks for your help" Maya said as politely as she could manage, adding a bow before she started to scurry off. Kaneki sighed as he followed on her heels.

"Do I need to ask where we're headed?" he wondered as he matched her hurried pace.

"Nope" she answered.

"What's this about a link? What happened to her?" he started to pry, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Not my secret to share" Maya responded quickly, hurrying towards the hospital.

-!DRRR!-

 **Was this how Anni felt while she waited for me to wake up, back then?** she wondered, fiddling with her thumbs. It was agonizing. The doctors weren't sure if she would survive, "If Anni pulls through this next surgery, she should have a good chance of making a full recovery" one of them had said to try and console her. Maya could only sit and hope, on that hard, uncomfortable chair.

"Are you going to go back home to sleep, or do I have to carry you?" Kaneki mused, startling her.

"I probably should go and at least change clothes, but I need to be here when she gets out of surgery" she asserted.

"She's not going to get out of surgery and just wake up, you know. Move before I have to force you. You need a shower" Kaneki lectured. His girlfriend only glared back. "You've been here for three days, I'm sure your boss loves you."

"He knows where I am, he's not happy about it, but he won't be punishing me for it. What of it?" she snapped back.

"That's it" he sighed at her, grabbing her arm and dragging her up. "You're going home to sleep and cool off-"

"-You are not about to order me around-"

"-Anni wouldn't want to see you like this over her." Kaneki finished, stopping Maya's train of thought entirely.

"Fine. I'll go home. See you later" she said grumpily, shaking off his hold and trudging past him. He didn't try to follow as she stomped out the automatic doors and on her way home.

-!DRRR!-

"She's gotten a lot stronger since she first came here" Celty showed her anxious friend before adding "I can't see her going through all this and not getting back up."

"I know, I know, but that doesn't make her wake up any faster. It's been a week, and after all those surgeries, she's still out. It's driving me nuts" Shizuo confided, snuffing out his cigarette and lighting another. Celty tried to guess how many packs he'd gone through this week. "I was expecting to spend a while without her around and all, but this is different. It feels so wrong-" His rant was cut short by a phone ringing. Grumbling, Shizuo pulled what seemed to be an iphone in an orange case from his pocket.

 **Since when does he have a smartphone?** Celty wondered, though she refrained from asking as he pondered the caller ID.

"Hold on a moment" the bodyguard instructed, deciding to answer the call. "Maya, right?...

Ya, I keep it around so I can call her brother…"

 **Oh, is that Anni's phone then?** she realized, patiently listening. To her surprise, Shizuo put on the first large grin she'd seen in awhile. **Good news?**

"Ah, thank you. I'll pass the word along to Alex" he announced before hanging up.

"Did something good happen? You're beaming."

"You could say that" he answered, getting up from their bench and stretching, phone still in hand. "Anni's finally awake! Apparently it'll still be a while before they let people visit her, but she's opened her eyes and is talking to people."

The courier stayed in place as she typed out her response. "That's wonderful! You'll have to give her flowers from me."

"Ya, sure. Thanks for stopping to listen to me again, Celty" Shizuo chimed, as a small breeze stirred the night air.

-!DRRR!-

He didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry. He relaxed, falling back into his mattress as a ragdoll and bouncing once or twice. The phone the had been clutched to his face only a moment ago was no longer in his grasp, probably having landed somewhere else in the bedspread. She was safe. The worst was over, and she would survive. What felt like an immense weight crumbled away, and breathing came easily again. Alex knew that not all was right in this world, not yet, but now it could get there.

-!DRRR!-

White. It was all white again. Why did it have to be white? Any other color, any other emotion would be better. Anni would prefer if it was black. It stank too. It stank of drugs and cleaners and mass produced sterile materials. It stank of her mother's work.

" _I'm sorry, little one. The cafeteria was out of pudding again. I could only find vanilla ranch dressing_ " the brunette told her fifteen year old. She set the tray of food she carried on the little white side table, complete with chocolate pudding.

" _You're kidding! I thought you said the pudding ALWAYS sold out first!_ " the young girl chirped back, sitting up too quickly. The darkened world spun, accompanied by a muted throb from above her left ear.

" _That's what you get. You can't just forget that you have stitches in your skull, Annibel_ " her mother laughed, popping open her can of soda and lounging in the chair off to the side.

" _Watch me_ " her daughter challenged, delicately reaching for the packaged sandwich triangles.

How many had it been? Five stitches? It wasn't even something interesting that landed her those stitches, either. It was a day in the park, a missing brother, a frantic Anni, who wasn't watching where she was running, and a tree branch. Alex had shown up in time to see his mother's coworkers whisk his little sister away. Anni ran her fingers over the light scar, hidden by the hair that grew back. Her eyes wandered vaguely to the table beside her. There was no pudding there for her.

"Can I… be done now?"


	36. Found

Kaneki couldn't believe his eyes. Tweetie, no, Anni-chan had completely changed since he last saw her. It wasn't just the tubes and wires attached to her, or the pale hue that had taken over her skin. It was the distant look in her eye, and the weak, forced smile.

"It's good to see again, Maya. Glad to see you too, Kaneki-san" she greeted warmly. **You haven't called me by my name once since we've met, what are you thinking?**

"Anni! You're already looking better. Have you been sleeping well?" Maya chattered, skipping up to sit on the bedside. Kaneki sauntered up slowly, watching instead.

"Yup, I've been getting lots and lots of sleep. The doctors keep telling me how important rest is, after all" Anni answered.

"Any dreams to report then? You always have such interesting stories to tell" Maya prodded. She was in full gossip mode, it seemed.

"Ah, not really" the little blonde started, averting her eyes to the window. "Thanks to all the drugs and stuff, most of my sleep has been dreamless." **Lies** Kaneki realized. **What dreams would she want to keep from her best friend? Or it is just because I'm here?**

"It's ok _Tweetie_ , I'm not going to judge you on your dreams. I want to hear one of these epic tales myself for once. Maya keeps bragging about them, and all" he offered cheerily. His girlfriend shot him a discreet glare from where she sat.

"No, it's not that, I just haven't had any worth telling, really" Anni asserted. She slapped another disarming smirk on her face for him. **How did Maya not see this?**

"Ignore him for now. Anyway, have you been keeping busy? I know how boring it can get, wired into a bed like this."

"Kinda. I've been spending a lot of time either sleeping or kinda drugged into not caring, so it's alright" Anni reassured.

"Have you been getting enough to eat? It almost looks like you've lost weight" Kaneki pursued. Maya's glare was no longer discreet.

"Some of the meds I'm on make me kinda nauseous, so I can only hold down so much. It's ok though, the IV here compensates for it, a bit" she returned, still smiling at him. Kaneki took a step forward. **Why in the world does she think she can get away with this? Drop the damn act al-**

Before he could complete that thought, or take another step, Maya had him by the arm and was dragging him out the door. He kept his mouth shut and didn't resist until she came to a stop in a hallway a little ways away. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she demanded in a forceful whisper.

"What am I doing? Why are you letting her get away with those bullshit lies!?"

"Because she needs someone around to support her while she deals with what happened, not someone to attack her for being depressed!" Maya spat.

"I'm not attacking her, I just want her to be honest with me. Wouldn't she be better off if she wasn't wasting her energy trying to keep of that pathetic facade?" he refuted.

"That's not for you to decide, or demand from her! We're here to HELP her, not add more stress onto her plate" she growled back.

"And making her pretend like that, when she obviously doesn't have the energy to even half-ass it, is helpful?"

"It's certainly more helpful than leaving her to rot, alone" came Maya's final point. From there it was a staredown, which Kaneki ended up losing.

"Fine. I won't force anything from her. Don't expect me to treat her the same way you do, though" he relented. Maya only nodded at him and started heading back.

"We're back" she sang as she opened the door. For a moment, Kaneki got a glimpse of the truth before Anni slipped back into her make-shift mask. A despondent, lost little blonde didn't notice them coming back quite quick enough.

"Welcome back" she cheered. Kaneki didn't need any other confirmation. He strolled past his girlfriend and to the bedside. Every step seemed to unsettle Anni's smile more, until she was only staring at him in uneasy confusion. At least that was genuine.

"What, exactly, is a _Skink_?" he asked firmly.

"Kaneki" Maya hissed from behind him.

"Ask your dad" Anni deflected softly. She turned her face back towards the window.

"I expect a proper answer" he pushed, resting a hand on her shoulder. Before either of the girls could react, he backed up and continued, "But not now of course! It would be cruel to the nurses to make them listen to a description of the horrible thing you think I am! It'll just have to wait until you're out of this place, won't it?"

It may have just been him seeing what he wanted to see, but a real smirk pulled at one corner of her mouth.

-!DRRR!-

Anni was not alone much. Her visitors were dedicated. Maya and the Skink were regulars, sometimes the Skink even came on his own. Shizuo actually visited daily himself, bringing flowers from Celty on the first day, though he never stayed too long. Her boss dropped by one day, with Riku and another of her coworkers in tow. When her visitors weren't sitting at her bedside, there was usually a nurse nearby to chatter cheerily. It didn't take her long to figure out why. It was how she acted. Everyone who entered her room was greeted with a tight lipped smile. Questions were answered, with some level of truth. While Anni never told anyone about her mental state, her avoidance of the subject was probably more telling. Everyone had her on suicide watch, not that she blamed them.

Her eyes were glued to the glass of her window in one of her few moments alone. None of this surprised her. The days came and went, and she got her rest, and slowly healed her body. It escaped her memory now just how many days it had been since she woke up. Did it matter anymore? Her door opened, admitting a set of footsteps. They were wearing different shoes from the nurses. **Smile. Welcome them. Don't be cruel to those who love you so** ran her usual mantra. Her face turned towards her guest, as she forced a smile. With closed eyes to hide how the quirk of her lips didn't reach them, she didn't know who had come to see her until they spoke.

"Congratulations. I don't think I've ever seen a more pathetic excuse for a fake smile" the voice jeered.

Anni's eyes snapped open, and her excuse for a smile fell away. "Why?" she asked the voice.

"Why? Shouldn't I be asking you that? You were the one wearing that horrible smirk" Izaya explained. He was without his jacket today, but his standard knowing look made up for it.

"Why are you here?" Anni clarified as he sat on the edge of her bed. "Ah, no" she interrupted before he could answer. "If I have to ask, I've already answered my own question, haven't I?"

Izaya laughed at her. "And what's that supposed to mean? Either way, I came to repay a favor."

"Favor?" the little blonde asked guardedly.

"You were kind enough to remember my birthday, even if it was a day late" he informed her with a light, forgiving tone.

 **Don't act so touched, I only did something strange enough to catch your attention** she wanted to say, but the sudden sputtering laughter wouldn't let her. The strain on her abdomen hurt like hell, and it made her feel sick, but stopping was still a chore. "I brought this on myself then" Anni said instead, still working to catch her breath. "I haven't had any shortage of visitors though. In fact, my boyfriend has been coming by every day. You might know him" she mused absently. This whole thing was taking far too much energy.

"Hasn't he already come by today though?" the informant asked her, cocking his head slightly. It wasn't a question at all. Just making it through the day was exhausting. Why did she have to deal with Izaya now, of all people, when she only wanted to sleep?

" _You suck_ " was all she could manage. It was pathetic at best, and she knew it.

" _Is that all you have to say to me?"_ he returned. His friendly tone didn't change, but his pleasant smile turned into a challenge. " _The very universe struck you down, and when someone you despise comes to kick you while you're down, all you can say is 'you suck'?_ " Tension hung heavy in the air as she glared at him. Her pulse pounded in her ears, begging to shut him up. "Oh well. I guess I shouldn't have expected much more. I'll leave you to your misery then." he relented, standing and turning his back on her.

" _Fuck you, little flea shit"_ Anni growled, making him stop in place.

"Oh?"

" _Screw you and everything you stand for._ I'm done. You wanted me to tell you what I think? Fine. _I'm done playing by the rules of a game that's fucking stacked against me_. I'm sick of trying to play nice and getting screwed."

"And what are you going to do about it?" her adversary taunted.

Anni was quiet for a moment as she decided. Sitting here for days had left her wallowing in her own past and self pity, not thinking about where to go from here. No answer based on something so petty would be good enough. "I'm going to use the only thing I have then. If the rules are stacked against me, I'll change them. _Screw this universe._ I'm going to play things my way" came her verdict, measured and even. Her eyes stayed fixed on the foot of her bed as fingers curled into her bed sheet. She wasn't tired or lost now. She was pissed.

"So that's your answer? Things aren't going your way, so you're not going to follow the rules anymore? That sounds like something a child would say" Izaya chided.

"So says the man who won't fight anything under anyone else's rules but his own" Anni retorted, sending him a glare. "Isn't it only childish if you don't have the power to back up your claim?"

Izaya chuckled at her. "Good job. I look forward to seeing what you do with your power, _Little Anni._ " With that much, he left, disappearing down the hallway.

-!DRRR!-

Staying asleep that night had been far harder than Anni thought it would be. For the life of her, she could not relax enough to drift off. Her thoughts kept being drawn back to the things she would like to change, and how she should go about avoiding them, so as to impact the rest of the story as little as possible. It was like the subject was magnetic. It had been almost second nature to sleep way too much these past few days, however many they had been, but now dreams were hard to come by.

This shortage had her drifting off a little when the day did roll around, right around lunch time. The overly full stomach probably didn't help. Apparently, eating barely enough to get by for days left you hungry. The nurses left her alone more though, so she was allowed to drift and entertain a nap. In her daze, she started having a few choice auditory hallucinations. It would be nice to see her precious guardian, so calling to mind the rather heavy footfalls she'd trained herself to recognize was not hard. The slight creak of her door was incredibly life-like, compared to her usual results when doing things like this. Anni was quietly proud of herself for being able to call forth such vivid details at will, until her hallucinations started to disobey her. Instead of the door closing swiftly and the footsteps getting closer, the door was slow to make noise again. **No, I don't want to lose control and drop off just yet!** she begged, but her mind wasn't having it. The door closed, and the footsteps started again, only to be just as muted as before, and growing softer.

"Damn it" she muttered aloud, opening her eyes in her frustration. The whole thing was lost now. Or was it? Was she imagining things still, or were those still the same retreating heavy footfalls? "Shizuo?!" Anni called out, sitting up far too quickly. The pain doubled her over for a moment, and disoriented her enough that she lost track of the sound she had been listening so hard for. **This is absurd**. Or so she thought, up until her door opened again, and a curious blond poked his head in.

"Are you awake then?" the bodyguard asked as he let himself in.

"So I'm not just losing my mind! What were you doing? Just going to poke your head in then leave me?" she demanded heartily.

Shizuo looked startled by her sudden attack, but was wearing a smile by the time he took his seat at her bedside. "You're sounding a lot better" he commented.

"Answer my question" Anni commanded, crossing her arms. Somehow, even acting like a petty child felt good.

"You looked like you were asleep, I just didn't want to wake you" he explained, still smiling at her.

"So you were going to leave me here?"

"I was just going to come back later, don't give me that look!" came his defense. Instead of continuing the argument, Anni started giggling. It was silly. The whole exchange was just silly.

"Later isn't good enough!" she proclaimed, reaching out towards Shizuo with both hands. He somehow figured out what she wanted, and offered his hand so she could clasp it between both of hers. "I want to have you around right now."

"You're finally feeling better…" was all he said.

"I think so… A little bit, at least…" the little blonde muttered. "Shizuo, I've made up my mind to do something rather stupid. No, not just rather stupid… really really stupid."

"Alright. What can I do?" Shizuo offered.

"You're not even going to ask what I'm doing?" Anni giggled. "I plan on taking what I know and changing the things that are going to happen, or at least the things I don't like. I'll need your help for some of it, I'm sure. I just don't know how I'm going to do it yet."

"That's fine. Just let me know when you can then."

-!DRRR!-

"You want me to what?" Maya asked her cell, adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder.

"Look, if I'm going to do this, I'll going to need help planning so I don't miss something stupid. Just binge through it, you can manage both seasons in two weeks right?" Anni suggested.

"I can do it in one, but I won't sleep much. I still can't believe you're seriously letting me watch the whole of Durarara."

"I've already said to hell with the rules. Just be glad I have the sense to have you help me with this instead of Shizuo-" Anni was cut off as Maya started laughing at her.

"There's no way that would have ended well. Fine, if it's either me or him, I'll save you the trouble. I'm looking forward to finally seeing this thing you're so obsessed with. Just don't pretend you're not using this as an excuse to gush over your favorite anime with someone, and I'll keep my mouth shut about what I see" she teased easily.

"What, you're threatening me now? Look, I already told Shizuo what's going on, so he should give you my phone with no issues. You will have to take up keeping my brother in the loop though, think you can handle that?" Anni sighed.

"I can handle it if you don't blow off my threats so easy."

"Maya…"

"I get it, I get it. It'll be just 'Neki bugging you for about a week while I work on my mission, so don't kill him, ok?" Maya relented.

"I couldn't if I tried, with the state I'm in… Speaking of which, I need to head back to my room. My favorite nurse is waving angrily at me. Talk to you later, best of luck-" Anni said, only to be abruptly cut off. Maya tucked her phone back into her purse with a sense of finality. She was finally going to get her chance, and she didn't even have to sneak in and steal her best friend's phone. It was perfect.


	37. Onwards

Maya was used to bingeing anime. She refused to watch most as they aired, if only so she could rush through them without waiting weeks at a time. The evenings after work she usually spent with her 'Neki were replaced with frozen dinners and hours upon hours curled around her empowered laptop, with a notepad and the almighty trans-dimensional phone hooked up.

Sixty episodes, five OVA specials, and eight days later, she was ready to meet up with her best friend and start scheming. This is what she'd been wanting to do for months and months, since she learned of the story. Maya desperately wanted Anni to lean on and confide in her. She had been waiting oh so patiently for a chance to watch this anime, not only to learn about the mysterious happenings of her city, but also for the novelty of watching an anime from another world, something she should never see. There was only one thing that had kept her from hounding poor Anni about sharing her secret this way until now. It was the fear the blonde had shown the first time they talked about it. Maya could convince her to joke about just about anything, but Anni never took her secret lightly. So Maya had waited. She worked to get the stubborn blonde to open up, she worked to hold her tongue, all for this day. All so she could prove herself, and work her butt off to be the one at Anni's side when shit went down. It might not have amounted to much payout for anyone else, but for Maya, both preserving her best friend's interests and getting in on the secret world of adventure in her own city was the ultimate reward.

Her extra duties, namely keeping Alex in the loop on his sister's condition, went smoothly. Kaneki had taken up visiting the hospital almost daily, not that Maya understood why Anni allowed him to stay around so much, and reported any details or changes he could. It made repeating the reports to Alex faster and easier for her. It meant that much less time on the phone. That left more time for watching the anime, or dreaming about the anime. Maya took one extra day of rest, a day filled with the same dreams she'd been having all week, and prepared her notebook to take to Anni.

-!DRRR!-

"What, you again? Get your skinny ass out of here! I'm tired of looking at your face."

"What if I told you… I brought cake?" the Skink bribed, producing a bag from behind his back on cue.

"Then… I suppose I can tolerate you for a time" Anni muttered as Kaneki laughed at her. He set the present down on a nearby table. "Wait! What kind of cake is it? I swear I'll start removing limbs if there are nuts involved."

"Maya said you liked carrot cake!" he defended.

"So you bought the kind with NUTS in it!? You really are just a useless lizard" she asserted, crossing her arms and pouting.

"I'm not nearly as cold blooded as you, now stop complaining" he ordered.

"Only if you learn how to bring proper peace offerings, I mean seriously" Anni returned, but her retort was tainted with laughter.

"What? What is that I'm hearing? I thought you would be taking off my arms about now, but you're laughing! Could it be that you're all empty threats? Gasp! Could you just be a tsundere who's had a crush on me all this time?! Ow." Kaneki's rant and chuckles were cut off as the pain in his arm started to throb. A sealed, half-full water bottle crinkled and sloshed as it bounced off the floor and came to a rolling stop.

"I wonder how much of you would be left were I to let slip that you said that. To most it might not mean much, but maybe if my boyfriend heard about it…" Anni growled back.

"I would be more curious about what would happen to the person who threatened the life of MY boyfriend" a voice broke in as the door squeaked open. "I might be able to make an exception for you though" Maya teased.

"Hey!" Kaneki protested, though it was drowned out by Anni's greeting.

"Maya! You're still alive!"

"I am, and I brought contraband too" his girlfriend gloated, holding up a thin, red covered notebook.

"Then we can have our cake and eat it too!" the blonde proclaimed.

"...What?" Maya asked, confused. Kaneki snickered to himself.

"I… your boy thing brought cake, I was making a bad joke, now get over here" she called from the bed, her cheeks showing a bit of color.

"Am I a 'boy thing' now? I don't know if that's an upgrade or not" Kaneki muttered to himself.

Maya was kind enough to sneak a peck on his cheek as she walked by. "If she's calling you human now, I would count it as a major improvement."

"Ewwww affection! Go get a room that isn't mine already!" Anni complained.

"Annibel…" Maya drew out in a sigh. "I've never been the one asking you to be serious, I know, don't make this a first. We have work to do."

"Yes ma'am" the bedridden one answered promptly. One look from Maya, and Kaneki took his leave. His job there was done anyway. If he left Tweetie in such a state that she went overboard with her snarky banter, he'd done everything he'd set out to do and more. It hadn't been easy work, but Kaneki felt accomplished. He would make her pay for the bruise he knew graced his arm, but that could wait.

-!DRRR!-

"... might impact the meeting there the night before. Not to mention, if we end up in the apartment around that time, we'll be seen as we leave, if not when we arrive. I don't want to put you in that kind of danger again" a very familiar voice explained from behind the door. Shizuo knew immediately what his Anni was talking about, if not the details, so he opened to door and announced his presence. Both females turned at the sound. Maya and his girlfriend were leaning over a little notebook Anni was holding, looking serious. His little blonde's face lit up as she recognized him. "Shizuo" she sang.

"Hello Heiwajima-san" Maya greeted softly.

"Yo Anni. How are you feeling?" he asked, a smile pulling at his lips.

"I'm doing well. Maya and I were just working out some plans. Top secret, you know" his girlfriend replied. Maya added a nod to confirm.

"I'm sorry to interrupt then-"

"Don't apologize, I think we needed a break anyway." The notebook snapped shut in Anni's hands, hiding whatever secrets they'd been discussing. "Sit with us, while you still can. The doctors have been threatening to discharge me soon" she explained.

"Threatening? You've been itching to get out of here for-" Maya started, only to be cut off by a playful shush from Anni.

"How soon?" Shizuo asked intently, eager to have his girlfriend back home.

"Only a few days now."

-!DRRR!-

By the time Maya left, they still hadn't come to any sort of conclusion on how to stop Adabashi Kinosuke from assaulting Shinra, much less how to do so without impacting the later events much. Anni paced barefoot through the grass on the hospital grounds the next day, still mulling over different strategies. She almost didn't notice the squeak of terror as she trudged past. The blonde had to stop and turn around to see where it came from. A grown man she didn't recognize was leaning against a tree, with one hand digging his nails into the bark, and the other arm thrown out in front of himself protectively. A hospital gown just like hers hung from his skinny shoulders. He was shaking slightly, staring at her like she was a reincarnation of the devil himself.

"Can I help-" she started, confused. Does he belong to the mental ward? What kind of meds is he on?

"P-please, I haven't done anything since then, I swear. L-look, I've just been working o-on recovering and earning a decent living. I'm not even in debt anymore, ok? Just please…" the man explained, stumbling over his words. Anni managed to put together who he was, though it was odd seeing the slime without any bandages covering his face.

"It's you" she breathed, watching him cringe back and gulp. "You're the bastard who attacked me and Maya those months ago!" Anni accused, feeling her anger flare. As the slime fell to his hands and knees to bow to her, she was forcefully reminded that she had very nearly killed this man last time they'd met.

"Please forgive me! I'm a changed man. I've cleaned myself up, I learned after that night, I swear to you!" he begged, his face pressed into the grass. The blonde had to stop and consider. While she would have loved to beat the crap out of him again, simply for existing, there was no way she could bring herself to raise a hand to him now.

"...Name" she said simply.

"Wh-what?" he asked, looking up.

"What's your name?" Anni clarified.

"Kenjirou Yasuda" came his hesitant answer.

"Alright then, Kenjirou-san. Keep working on improving yourself, and I will be more than happy to never see your face again. Bye-bye" she waved as she walked away, still simmering. She would never be able to forgive him, but she could at least restrain herself from trying to kill him.

-!DRRR!-

It felt strange, standing outside in her usual attire again, instead of a hospital gown. Her bag hung on Shizuo's shoulder, who seemed all too happy to not allow her to carry her own things. He at least let her walk on her own, despite commenting on how skinny she still looked, so Anni wasn't up for complaining much. Just as they started walking home, Maya and the Skink came running up.

"Great! We didn't miss you!" Maya chimed.

"Even if it is your fault we're late-" Kaneki corrected, but was cut off and ignored.

"I have an idea for avoiding the next event! Anni, you have to see this one, I really think it'll work" Maya gushed, waving the little red notebook around.

"Be quiet would you?!" Anni scolded, swiping the book from her grasp. "At least not here."

"I'm serious though, this one might work!" Maya asserted in hushed tones.

Shizuo sighed and ruffled Anni's hair. "I'll see you at home. Don't stay out too long" he advised, starting the trek home by himself.

"Look what you've done, you chased off my boyfriend" Anni admonished.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad. Just come see what I came up with, hopefully it's good enough for your absurd standards" Maya retorted, dragging Anni along by her arm. Kaneki followed after them with his hands in his pockets, looking both amused and annoyed.

-!DRRR!-

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Anni asked hesitantly, going over the plan in her head again.

"Of course. We still have a week and a half to prepare, which gives me plenty of time to get all the special makeup I need, and pick out any kind of wig I want" Maya explained.

"That's not what I meant. I'm certainly willing to put my own neck on the line here, but you'll still be in the line of fire if we go through with this. Even if he can't connect your name and face to find you later, he could still attack while you're there and put you in the hospital too" the blonde refuted.

"That's what you're for" Maya replied, smiling.

"Even at my best, there's no way I can stand up to this guy" Anni sighed, leaning back against her tree. They'd taken up an otherwise quiet corner of a park, where they could argue without fear of bothering anyone else. Kaneki looked to be falling asleep in the grass, though Anni knew better than to assume that of him. Through all of his time spent annoying her in her hospital bed these past weeks, she'd gotten to see through his scheming a bit more. He resembled the informant she hated in a few ways, though she couldn't consider him a psychopath, thankfully. He would always be an adorable little lizard that she could never fully trust, but he seemed perfectly happy with that kind of relationship.

"You don't have to! That's the beauty. Just having three people around with phones should be enough."

"'Should be enough' isn't good enough for me, not with people I care about and myself in danger. We have time to work this out, so I want to get it right" Anni clarified.

"I'll second that" the Skink added, confirming her suspicions. "I'm sorry sweetie, but at the very least I'd like to be there for a plan like this."

"Since when are you on my planning team?" Anni questioned sharply, not bothering to cover her frustration.

"Since Maya's safety came into question. Don't take your impatience out on me, pretty please" he added, his tone reaching a fake light heartedness near the end. "I still don't know exactly what's going on, but I'll trust that this needs to happen. Make sure my little goddess stays mostly safe and I won't pry" he offered, never bothering to open his eyes. Both Anni and Maya were too surprised by his additions to respond immediately, though for differing reasons. Anni had never seen him quite this honest and blunt, while Maya couldn't believe he would call her his 'little goddess' in public and in perfect seriousness.

"Well…" Maya restarted, clearing her throat. "I don't think four people in a room with working cellphones would hurt" she offered as compromise.

"You know what, fine. We can work on the details to make it better later, this is the best plan we can work anyway. Satisfied, Skink?" Anni asked.

"Hm?" Kaneki asked drowsily, sitting up and blinking at her in confusion. "Satisfied with what?" He even added a drawn out yawn at the end. Anni forcefully stifled the urge to punch him.

-!DRRR!-

Home again. Anni wanted to cheer and shout. She settled for slipping out of her shoes, falling into her startled roommates lap, and softly cheering "yaaay."

"It's good to have you back" Shizuo chuckled in response, resting a hand on her head and she flopped the rest of herself onto the couch.

"It's good to be back. I never thought I would miss an apartment this much" she confided, adjusting so she could be actually comfortable.

"Did you just miss the apartment?" her boyfriend asked in surprise.

"Of course not! I missed you the most. Just seeing you once a day is never enough" she replied, setting him at ease and making him smile. He seemed to be content to leave it there, so Anni decided to change the subject. "Maya, the Skink and I finally came up with a plan. There are still a lot of details to work on, but I think it might work out…"

"Will you be needing me?" he asked curtly, though his eyes betrayed his worry.

"Not if things go right. I'll still let you know when and where things are going down when it happens though, just in case" she explained.

"Good" Shizuo said, seeming pleased with just that much.

 **-A/N-**

 **It has been forever and a day since my last update, and I'm terribly sorry. You've probably heard the "life gets in the way" explanation a hundred times, so I'll spare you that much. I really hope you enjoy this early Christmas present, feel free to let me know what you think, as I'm still having trouble deciding exactly how to go about finishing this thing. Thank you all so much for reading, and your support. Happy holidays**


	38. I'm terribly sorry

-A/N-

I'm terribly sorry to say I won't be able to continue this story as it stands. This is the last I will be posting for Wandering Souls as it is (though there is good news coming for those still interested, so don't give up on me yet!), so I might as well give a full explanation.

I've managed to write myself into quite a few different kinds of corners, simply because I was making it up as I went along, and this was my first real attempt at writing a story. I'm glad it turned out as well as it did, and I am proud of it in a way, but it got the point where I no longer enjoyed writing, and I'd done basically everything I wanted to. It became more of a chore, and updates took longer and longer to get out, as I'm sure a few have noticed. I also realized that the main part of the ending I wanted to do was based on a few misconceptions, and I wouldn't be able to write or publish it in good conscience, as I do try to keep this canon. (at least as canon as is reasonable with my premise)

Now for the good news! Since most of my issues were coming from the more or less concrete history I'd already written, the only way around them would be to entirely rewrite the whole thing. I sat there and mulled over all the things I would have changed or made better if I did it again, and the idea became more and more appealing. So, instead of abandoning the entirety of my little abomination, I've decided simply to redo it, better than before. With everything I've learned from the first attempt, and a story line of events to follow, it would be hard to make it anything but better (in my eyes at least). Please forgive me my pickiness when it comes to my work, it's actually really kinda scary to post things where anyone could see, so I always try to make it my best work.

Anyway! I've already started on the rewrite. I'm going to post it on here as another story, under the title "Struggling Souls" (totally not a reference to the struggle of writing the thing *coughcough*) once I have a few chapters together. I do apologize, that I wont be able to give you an ending to this story for a while to come, but it is coming! It'll just be in a different form. Thank you for all the support you've given me, and I hope you can forgive my letting you down this time. I promise to come back with something better that can give a satisfying conclusion!

In other news, what kind of changes would you want to see in the second version? You've always seemed to be a rather quiet lot, but I would like to hear what you want from this story. Would you want it to be a slightly prettier version of the original, or do you want it to take a slightly different path, since the original still exists? Would you be interested in more events and plot developments, or more daily life and sap? I'm really curious why someone would choose to read my little abomination, lol

Take care, and I hope to have Struggling Souls up soon for you.

-A/N-


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